


Charans's Story- A Glitchtale AU

by InstaQuarius, Justanothersansfangirl3332



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Glitchtale (Undertale), Angst, Animosity, Bête Noire, Camila Cuevas - Freeform, Gen, Glitchtale, Nightmares, PTSD, Tortured Sans (Undertale), Trauma, akumu(glitchtale), charans dreemurr the skeleton, dreemurr family - Freeform, godsoul, sans doesn't die in glitchtale, undyne(glitchtale)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 45,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27251845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InstaQuarius/pseuds/InstaQuarius, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justanothersansfangirl3332/pseuds/Justanothersansfangirl3332
Summary: Glitchtale AU based on the episode: "Animosity."What if Chara got to Sans and the Skelefamily much earlier in Animosity? What if Chara was able to fuse with Sans SOUL and saved him from dusting?How would Betty fair against a Half Human/Half Monster with the power of a God? And how will they cope after all is said and done?
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	1. Animosity

**Author's Note:**

> Note: In the parts passed the '***' parts was written by my friend who kind of gave me the idea for this AU in the first place on discord.  
> All chapters are a collaborative story written by me and All Sanses are the best on discord

**_PROLOGUE:_ **

_" SANS!! STOOP!!!" (SANS!! STOOOP!!!)_ _Sans heard his father yell out but by then, it was already too late._

_All at once, he was suddenly surrounded by the Gaster Blasters he himself had summoned. Now, they were turned towards him as the eye lights in each of them glowed pink and Sans knew he was screwed as he stared wide-eyed and paralyzed with fear back at every last Gaster Blaster. All glaring down at him, the magic within not at all in Sans' control anymore._

_Betty smirked with silent victory, her Rhabdophobia having successfully taken control of his attacks as each of them opened their jaws ready to fire the blast at Sans._

_Sans was good at dodging, sure, but 100 or so Gaster Blasters? Not even he with his own determination could dodge that many lasers, and he still didn’t have the stamina or defenses to defend himself and with only 1HP he wouldn't survive long, even with the determination that he had been injected with._

_Gaster had only a split second to react as he summoned two large magical hands, wrapping them around his son to shield him. Gaster grunted with the effort when the blasts struck, clutching his own hands together as he held on. Glowing green magic powerful in the holes of Gasters hands, but apparently not enough as the magic surrounding Sans protectively began to crack and break under the pressure of Betty’s attacks._

_It was merely by sheer luck the attacks had finally stopped, before the magic around Sans broke as well. Gaster let out a wince as he fell unconscious and Sans began to fall._

_“GASTER!!” _ _Paps shouted as he ran towards him, picking him up in his arms holding their father protectively._

***

**CHAPTER 1: ANIMOSITY**

"what have i done?" Sans thought to himself as he landed on the ground and looked fearfully over at Betty. She'd somehow stolen his special attack, and it seemed like nothing that anyone could do would work. Sans could see Betty grinning evilly, secure in the knowledge that they had no hope of beating her, before her gaze suddenly shifted over to Gaster and Papyrus, her smile growing wider and unnaturally more sinister as all of the blasters pointed at them. 

_"_ _no, i won't let you hurt them!_ _"_ Sans thought, before teleporting in front of them right as Papyrus prepared to try and defend himself and their father, his hand already glowing bright with red magic before stopping, Papyrus’s eyes widening in shock when Sans appeared before him.

Filled with a burning, determined, desire to kill this demon once and for all, Sans summoned every last bit of magic contained in his SOUL, and summoned his special attack again. He and Betty both fired at each other using the Gaster Blasters she’d stolen against the new ones Sans had summoned. The massive combined blue and pink beams tearing across the space between the two city blocks until the beams collided, and Sans continued pouring all of the energy that he had left in his soul right into this attack, not willing to let this creature hurt his family for even a second more.

***

Chara and Asriel raced through the city as fast as they could once Asriel had been assured at least 5 times that Chara had perfect control of the Hatred he’d sapped from him. Up ahead, about 5 blocks away the two kids could see and feel immense amounts of magical energy clashing. The light from both beams towering over several of the grey tall buildings in front of them.

“Chara, look!!!” Asriel shouted pointing up at the sky as the blue and pink beams battled to overpower the other..

“Yeah I know Azzy.” Chara nodded back at his brother, forcing pure determination through his legs to run faster. _‘Hang on guys!! Please just hang on, just a little bit longer!!’_ Chara thought, sweat pouring down his brow as he could just faintly feel the rest of what remained of Sans' magical energy starting to vanish incredibly fast now and subconsciously, he knew Sans didn’t have much time left.

Next to him, Asriel focused his own magic as the two black stripes had reappeared on Asriel's cheeks, giving Chara the clear sign that his adoptive brother was now tapping into his Hypergod of Death powers. Azzy was also growing more and more worried as the Skeletons fight with Betty progressed, and at the incredible speed he could sense Sans' magical energy and soul draining. They were now only a block away and could see the entire Skeleton family directly in front.

***

However, Sans' determination quickly turned into horror as he began to melt and realized that he must have gone way over his limit, though he knew he could still do just a bit more, seeing as Betty was not letting up yet.

Preparing to put every last drop of magic that he had into his one final attack and end this once and for all, Sans looked back at his family just as Gaster had started to reawaken. Gaster let out an audible gasp as the two had looked into each other's eye sockets and eyelights, and Gaster saw how full of regret and fear Sans was when he realized he couldn't spend anymore time with them. 

**_This was going to be Sans' final stand_ **. 

There would be no more coming back this time and Sans knew it. All he could do now was end this demon before he left this world. 

To that end, Sans forced out more determination, along with every last single little scrap of magic that he still had into his final attack, and fortunately, it was just enough. 

The glowing blue beam of Sans’s blasters smashed through the pink beam of Betty's stolen ones and slammed her into a nearby building. 

*** 

Chara and Azzy arrived at the scene JUST as Sans had sent Betty flying full force slamming into a building 2 and a half blocks towards the left. Chara continued running, even after they’d finally caught up, nearly running directly into Sans as he skidded to a halt, kicking up dust as he dug in his heels, stopping himself just a couple inches away from Sans, panting. Chara's bangs lightly brushed up against Sans' startled face as Chara thought, ‘Oh _God...Sans…!’_

Chara struggled for breath and he took in Sans' appearance, hands quickly moving to his knees to catch himself from collapsing, as Sans continued to melt right in front of him. 

Right at that very moment, a plan formed in Chara's head as he held out his hand to the melting skeleton.

Asriel however, had no idea what his brother was formulating, but he knew he needed to keep Betty busy while Chara did whatever he had to, in front of Sans, as he summoned his twin swords. Asriel stood watching with bated breath for any sign of movement through the dust cloud that was still hiding Betty effectively from the Princes’ sights.

“S-Sans!! Listen, I think...I know a way to keep your family safe and for...for us to end all this!! All I ask, is that you trust me okay?!” Chara shouted desperately, still panting in between words as Sans stared after him confused and afraid.

***

 _"_ _who knew that melting away would be so painful?_ _"_ Sans thought as his blue eyelights faded to white, basically all of his magic now gone and his soul empty. From the corner of Sans’s sockets, he saw Chara sprint over to him and skid to a stop. Chara's bangs brushed against melting cheek bones as he then started talking while sounding slightly out of breath.

Sans barely heard Chara's words when he spoke, considering that Sans was nearly already gone and half-dusted by this point. Sans knew that he was fading rather quickly, and that he only had a few short seconds left. But, if Chara had a plan, Sans knew that helping him would be his best chance to protect his family and maybe even to help them all survive this battle.

"y-yes." Sans said in a quiet voice, before his eyelights faded out and he turned to dust, leaving his small, trembling, white SOUL behind. 

The vulnerable little thing shivered, only a breath away from shattering…

***

Chara smiled with relief, wasting absolutely no time as he shot an arm forward, grabbing hold of the vulnerable little monster SOUL. 

Chara's own SOUL seemed to react, as Chara focused all of his determination into saving what was left of Sans' life. Chara's SOUL shone a bright red, as Sans’s one also began to shine brightly, the two resonating with one another and with what Chara wanted as a powerful light seemed to explode from the two souls resonating with one another, completely blinding everyone who was nearby to see it.

Papyrus winced, moving the arm that wasn’t busy in helping Gaster to stand to shield his sockets from the light, Gaster copying the motion.

“What the-?!” Asriel shouted when he saw his shadow grow 50x its own size in front of him. Asriel turned to glance over his shoulder as he risked stealing a look at what was happening behind him, when he suddenly felt a surge of powerful magic swell within the light source that felt strongly familiar. 

“Cha…?” Asriel whispered, as he felt his senses overwhelmed by the sheer amount of determination swelling from what felt like Chara’s soul energy, intermingling, and melding together with the remainder of Sans' determination and magic. The red and white beams of light starting to fade away...

Slowly, Betty began to crawl out of the rubble, her own eyes also widening in shock when the light finally faded. And a new being now stood where Chara once was, holding Sans' soul. 

The being looked human enough. Wearing a blue hoodie over a green and yellow striped sweater and silver hair glistening in the sunlight. They also wore a black and white striped track shorts over brown pants and pink slippers. In the center of their chest, their soul floated in front of them. It looked like a red determination soul, with the upside down inverted monster soul heart stacked directly on top but fused.

Slowly, the being's lids opened, rewarding yet startling everyone when they were met with what looked like the being had eye sockets, with little red eye lights flickering on instead. The being looked confused as to whether the plan worked or not as the soul vanished, slowly going back into it's home in the being's chest.

***

Despite Chara's warning and the fact that Sans had agreed to this, he was still shocked when Chara had absorbed his SOUL. Sans shivered, remembering what it had felt like to be trapped inside of that creature. 

Alone. Helpless. Vulnerable. 

And even though Sans knew that Chara was nothing at all like that thing, that Chara only wanted to help and protect Sans and his family, he still couldn't quite stop all of those horrific memories from festering inside of his soul. Especially when Sans realized with a jolt that he could feel such a strong feeling of malice and...hate coming from Chara's half of their new combined SOUL.

"nonononono." Sans thought, starting to panic as images and feelings of pain and terror filled his mind. What Sans didn’t realize was, when panic consumed him, so too did it affect Chara and their new body, as the beings hands immediately shot up to their head, digging fingers into their now silver hair, "please not this again why couldn't you just let me go why couldn't you let me die that would have been better than going through this again please someone, _anyone_ , help me!"

***

Papyrus fell to his knees in shock, unsure how to feel. There was simply too much happening too fast for the young skeleton monster to finish comprehending all at once. 

There was a despair first, at the memory of watching his brother dust before him filling Papyrus’s mind and soul.‘ _W-WHAT JUST HAPPENED…? CHARA...HE ABSORBED MY BROTHERS SOUL...RIGHT? BUT- I CAN’T FEEL HIS MAGIC ANYWHERE. WHAT’S GOING ON?’_ Papyrus thought as he focused on that feeling of despair, terror and grief slowly consuming him. It was the only one that made the most sense at this moment in time, seeing as how Paps could no longer see his brother anywhere except for this strange human looking, weird skeleton hybrid that now stood in Sans’s place. 

Papyrus held his gloved hands together on his lap, the thought of not having Sans anymore in his life just felt so foreign and strange. Paps knew he heard his brother's reply and Chara’s mention of a plan, but that memory and the more traumatizing one of actually seeing his dear brother melting and then dusting directly in front of him were all so conflicting and confusing that it messed with his skull. 

_WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHERE'S MY BROTHER????_ Papyrus wondered. Could Sans _actually_ be gone now? No, he simply couldn’t. Papyrus _needed_ his big brother. Just as much as Sans needed Papyrus. 

Papyrus always had Sans with him, even when he was a babybones. Sans was always such a fervent part of Papyrus’s memories and, as far as Paps knew, they’d always been together no matter what happened. Or even, no matter how annoying Sans could be at times with his puns, and refusal to pick up his socks, and how much of a lazy bones he was, it could literally drive Papyrus up the wall. 

But still, Sans was Sans. And Paps didn’t want to trade his brother for anything else in the world and would have had him no other way.

After all, Sans _raised_ Papyrus. Sans was the reason he grew up into the Monster that he was today. 

Now he was gone. And Papyrus felt more alone than ever, and it _terrified_ him.

Gaster had a much **different** reaction. He was also just as unsure as Papyrus had been to what had happened. 

Gaster knew and heard Sans agree as Chara had absorbed his son's soul. However, there was still a mix of immense guilt and pure sadness in Gaster's soul like he’d never felt before. The kind of sadness only a _father_ could possibly feel with the loss of his first born child filled his soul. 

Guilt he felt too, as he thought back to the determination mixed with Undyne’s blood he’d injected into his son as his mind burned with the thoughts of Sans melting in front of him. The look of pain and utter fear Sans had given them all as he fought valiantly to defend Gaster and Papyrus was burned into Gaster's mind. 

Gaster's soul had now become like a glass of water. His emotions the water brimming at the very edge, as it continued to fill. Droplets continued to drop into the metaphorical glass, but never breaking the surface tension as Gaster felt himself being consumed by the terror and thoughts that plagued his mind. 

_I DID THIS. SANS IS GONE. BECAUSE OF ME. (I DID THIS. SANS IS GONE. BECAUSE OF ME.)_

_BECAUSE. (BECAUSE.)_

_I. (I.)_

_FAILED. (FAILED.)_

But he did not show the silent storm he was feeling through any of his expressions. Not like Papyrus next to him who wore his emotions on his sleeve for the world to see. No, Gaster simply stared off into space, not even his own eyelights giving away even a single hint as to what was happening inside.

How _close_ Gaster was to mentally snapping. Like a string pulled too taut, or like the glass of water mentioned prior, ready to burst in all its glory.

As for Chara, or what remained of them, body and soul now fully mixed and fused perfectly with Sans’s… was just simply confused. 

Outwardly, it looked like the plan had worked and Chara's body now looked a bit like Sans’s and his own as it had tried to find the perfect blend between skeleton monster and human, Chara noticed as he looked down, distracted by his new body. 

But, then, why couldn’t he feel Sans' presence? 

Suddenly, as Chara was starting to wonder if the fusion even worked at all, he was suddenly overwhelmed by pure terror and raw emotions, as the being's hands moved of their own volition and up to their shared head. And it was only then that he realized something:

Sans was having a full-on, whatever monster equivalent it was to a panic attack.

Before Chara could even guess what was happening however, or try and have his soul resonate with Sans' or do something to comfort him, Betty had gotten back up again. Chara briefly noticed her, as she focused her attention on two people in particular.

Asriel was distracted, staring at this new being, a mix of rage and utter confusion on his face, as he stared at his brother and the new body which he was now sharing with that of Sans’s. And at the fact that THIS had been Chara's plan all along.

Asriel was furious that Chara hadn’t even had the gall to warn him first, or at least tell him this was what he planned, feeling slightly betrayed, but also...scared as he remembered the day when he and Chara first tried this as well, leading to both their deaths.

Papyrus was still on the ground on his knees, also distracted and filled to the brim with a mixed feeling of fear and grief as tears left his sockets. He let out a wail of sorrow and started to cry harder as he remembered all of the good times that he'd shared with his brother, still focusing on that part of his memory and not at all on the fact his brother WAS in fact, still alive, and just now sharing a body basically.

Chara felt terror starting to fester, which luckily seemed to momentarily overpower that of Sans’ panic, as he screamed out to Papyrus and Asriel to “MOVE!!!”

Chara forced his determination out, to gain control of the shared body, as he raised an arm out, outstretching his hand towards Asriel, who was the closest one to him. Praying Gaster was still in this and would be able to protect Papyrus as he began to run towards his adoptive brother.

Betty smirked. " _Two targets._ " She thought, taking aim as she lifted both her arms, firing arrow shaped bullets at the two youngest.

Time seemed to slow down for but a split second, as Chara continued to race towards Asriel. Chara glanced back at Gaster, as red eyelights locked onto him as he’d still not moved an inch. Even as that dark pink, arrow shaped bullet was racing towards Papyrus and it looked like the bullet will hit and Papyrus would dust and all would be for naught and-

The metaphorical water glass cracked and exploded with finality.

Gaster's eyelights shot upwards, red magic coloring one of them as he suddenly became aware of his surroundings.

Chara, currently in control of this new beings body, and Gaster were both quick on their feet, panic filling Chara's soul as he leapt in front of Azzy, determined to protect him. A red determination shield formed on one of his arms to deflect Betty's attack, rebounding it towards some more empty grey buildings off in the distance, as Gaster's mind snapped to attention. Gaster continued to stare, unmoving, as a magical hand, glowing with green Kindness soul magic, was automatically summoned in front of Papyrus, blocking the attack.

Papyrus let out an audible gasp, as he felt a sharp pain in his ribcage..

***

Through the overwhelming panic that was coursing through Sans' consciousness, he very vaguely felt that whoever had taken his SOUL used some of their shared magic to block an attack that he thought was aimed right at Prince Asriel. 

In the middle of his overwhelming panic, this kind of confused him. After all, didn't that _thing_ steal his SOUL so that it could drain more of his magic? However, Sans still couldn't really see or feel anything that was going on, as he wasn't in control anymore of their shared body, and he was currently too busy with struggling to calm down. 

And then Sans felt it. 

The one feeling that he hoped against everything else he would never have to feel ever again. 

The horrible, unmistakable feeling of magic being drained against your will.

"oh god." Sans thought as a jolt of fresh, raw uncontrollable terror shot through his SOUL making it pulse with frantic bursts of magic. If one could see it, it looked very much like a heart beating very fast. 

"that thing must have grabbed my soul a-and it's going to use any power that i have left to hurt even more people and to hurt and possibly kill my family nononono, why didn't i kill it how did i fail to do that as well i'm so sorry that i failed you all."

***

Chara breathed in relief, grateful to have just been there in time to save his brother from certain death. His red eyelights shifted to the side as he tilted the beings head, motioning for Asriel to get to safety. When Chara did so however, he noticed something was odd back where the remainder of the skeleton family was.

Papyrus seemed to be clutching his chest in pain, his body bent inward. And Gaster…

**_Something was wrong._ **

Chara thought, as terror consumed him once again, and he controlled the shared body to grip at his chest, as he could feel their own shared SOULs frantic bursts of Magic, making Chara feel anxious and nearly overwhelmed.

Chara struggled, trying to right his mind and focus once more on the Skelefamily, a few feet away, using determination to not pay any attention to whatever the heck Sans was even doing. When doing so could either mean life or death, and Betty would _certainly_ not hesitate the moment she saw either one of them distracted. _C’MON CHARA, FOCUS!!_ Chara scolded to himself quite firmly. 

Gaster continued to stare, absolutely emotionless as Betty's attack vanished. He didn’t even seem to notice that Papyrus seemed to be in terrible pain.

‘Did Paps get hit?’ Chara wondered, panic flaring in his combined soul even more now, this time coming from both as Chara was now even more confused as to what was going on. ‘No, I saw Gaster deflect that attack- so. Why? Why does Papyrus look to be in so much pain????’

The two feelings of inward panic seemed to mix and blend with Sans’s own, and gradually growing even stronger. 

Chara then wondered, if anything that he was feeling was even his own or if it was also just a result from the brewing amount of negativity he could sense coming from Sans. It made him feel quite sick and nauseous, so much so that Chara almost wanted to scream at Sans to stop and snap out of it, but he resisted as his attention was caught once again at the sight of Gaster walking closer and closer to stand right by his side. Gaster's face was still just as emotionless as beforehand and, now standing directly next to Gaster, Chara could not stop the fear that crept into his combined soul or the hairs on the back of his neck standing up when he felt how icy cold Gaster's magic felt, as Gaster spoke.

"C O M E ." (C O M E.)

Chara blanched. “Gaster…?” 

Being this close, he could _definitely_ feel that something was off with Gaster, now that, thanks to being in contact with Sans’s soul, he became hyper aware of the emotion in the magic of others, and briefly he wondered if Sans could feel it as well. There was no way he couldn’t. And this sent even more chills down their shared spine.

Betty on the other hand, was perplexed. “Was he mocking me?! Tsk, so one of them has a godsoul now. Big whoop. I can handle this. You’re gonna pay for underestimating me.” Betty spoke harshly, but then, rather briefly, she wondered if it’d be in her best interest to focus all her attention on the one with the godsoul now, before the monster inside of them woke up and they got access to Sans' powers. Then she could drain the magic of a perfectly synced determination/monster hybrid soul and ensure Monsters would never threaten humanity again! NO ONE could stand up to her with that kind of power in her grasp!!

Plus, Betty admitted, Sans was the strongest one of them all still, and it would be quite troublesome if he were to realize what’s happening and lent these cretins a hand.

Betty could sense the amount of trauma and fear exuding from the combined body as their godsoul was practically pumping the air full with the feeling. The magic was heavy, and she was almost tempted to take advantage of it. She was the soul of Fear after all. She didn’t need to worry about Gaster since she’d beat him before anyways. 

He was a nobody. And he always WOULD be.

***

"how am i still alive?" Sans thought. "i had basically no magic, it should all be gone now. how’m i still here?" He then felt another consciousness touch his own. This surprised Sans even more, as Betty had never paid any attention to him or any of the other SOULs that she had captured, seeing their beings as little more than tools to be used for her own ends, and then discarded them when their usefulness had ended. But now, not only was this person even bothering to pay attention to him, and this consciousness felt like Chara’s, it also seemed like they were trying to make sure that he was okay. Even if they were a little rough about it, seeming to scold rather than gently comfort. But, Sans was honestly okay with that.

"okay, but if chara has my soul, and if chara doesn't want to hurt me; why can i feel magic being drained from someone?" Despite these questions Sans still had, his panic was finally starting to lessen a little as he gently touched Chara's mind, calling out to him, to seek reassurance from Chara, as he began to wonder what was happening in the world outside.

Asriel stared in shock at the scene unfolding in front of him, unsure why he was unable to heal Papyrus at all...

***

Chara felt the slight touch to his soul, and could tell that Sans was feeling much calmer now than earlier, but Chara could not reply back. His attention was hyper focused, as Betty suddenly sped towards their shared body, summoning her scythe in hand.

He gritted his teeth, forcing all his senses into overdrive as he felt Sans’s touch again to his soul. Chara barely managed to side step out of the way, as Gaster hadn’t even moved a centimeter. Betty's body zoomed past him as Chara moved slightly away. A single silver strand was cut from Chara's head as he grimaced, a cut and then a crack appearing on their cheek from the tip of the scythe barely grazing him as Chara shut closed one eye socket in instinct, half expecting blood to ooze out of the wound but it didn’t.

‘Too slow.’ Chara scolded himself, as Betty's blade seemed to grow bigger as she swung it down towards them again. Chara moved his shield to block but it seemed Gaster was way ahead of them, using his magic hands to block the blade instead. Although Gaster still stayed in place, and just his eyelights following Betty's movements.

Chara could see Betty's eyes widen as she let out a gasp. Gaster had now summoned 5 more magical hands without moving a boney limb, all of them glowing with red determination soul power as they each blasted at Betty, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Papyrus on the other hand, still had his gloved hands tightly clenching his shirt over his chest, gasping weakly as Asriel attempted to heal him. He was still slumped over and on his knees as he watched the battle unfold through hazy vision. ‘ _M..MY MAGIC…’_ Papyrus huffed, feeling quite tired and terrified, his hand gently squeezing and bunching up the front of his shirt more, lifting it up slightly to expose his spine connecting the ribcage to the Ilium. He still had not even the slightest clue as to what was going on either.

Asriel could feel Papyrus' soul quiver in anticipation as he began to pump more healing magic into Paps body in desperation, sweat soaking through Asriel's white fur, teeth gritted tightly. _Why isn’t this working?! It’s supposed to be working, so WORK DAMNIT!!!_ Asriel thought in frustration.

Betty shook off the damage, digging her fingers deep into the ground, still intently focusing her attention on the monster/human hybrid as one of the hands burst out around him, the other one around Gaster to keep him occupied and hopefully, distracted from coming to the hybrid’s aid.

Chara summoned his sword in time, slicing at the fingers before they could even grab him. Gaster had also, FINALLY lifted his own arms, this time using Integrity’s soul darker blue power to slash at the fingers. Blue razor sharp rings had formed attached to string-like magic connected to the holes in Gasters own hands as they sliced the claw like tendrils into mincemeat, causing Betty to hiss in pain and retract them.

Papyrus let out yet another gasp in pain, as he felt his magic draining more so when Gaster's anger only grew heavier the longer that the fight went on. 

Papyrus nearly fell, catching himself as he shot both his arms out, landing on his elbows as he gasped sharply. Sweat and tears forming in Papyrus’s eyes, he looked through the corner of his sockets as Gaster had lifted a palm, now the hole in his hand glowing with cyan Patience soul power, clenching it into a fist.

A whip like tentacle wrapped around Betty, easily lifting her off the ground before she could recover as Gaster slammed her body into the ground next to him. When Betty looked up, she could see Gaster staring at her, contempt in his eye sockets, even though his face was still as emotionless. Almost like that of a statue. 

It was unnerving, to say the least.

Chara struggled in keeping his focus on the battle in front of him while also feeling Sans attempting to try and get his attention. Part of him wanted to tell Sans he’s going to be alright and about what was happening, as he felt Sans grow worried, this emotion now taking over the fear and trauma from earlier, filling Chara's soul and body and making him tense up.

***

Sans felt Chara starting to use even more magic as the battle truly started again, and then a sharp pain. For a moment Sans felt their shared HP diminish and he felt panicked, thinking about his 1HP and horrid stats and truly thought that _this was it_ but, when he felt Charas determination and the fact they didn’t die, he calmed.

When Chara didn't respond to Sans poking his soul one final time, he realized that he most likely wouldn't be able to get the human's attention until it was over. Sans was still very grateful, though, as at least it wasn’t Betty who’d taken his soul and that Chara held it instead.

Sans considered trying to lend Chara his magic, and abilities, as he knew that it wouldn't be so bad if he was the one giving it to them voluntarily, but despite their fusion, Sans was still unsure if his SOUL would be able to hold itself together for long. 

Though, at the same time, he was actually almost positive that it could, considering that he only had the equivalent of a tiny drop of magic left, which wouldn't really be all that useful for Chara anyway. Sans instead decided that it would be better to basically settle down and rest until the fight was over, as a lack of magic had left him exhausted and barely conscious. 

However, just as Sans was about to take a nap, he felt yet another surge of magical drainage, and this time, he realized where it must have been coming from. Because he, Gaster and Paps were all connected to one another via their SOULs, they could all feel to a certain extent what the others were feeling. And since Sans knew that it wasn't his own magic that was being drained, since he had had this tiny sliver of magic that was barely hanging in there ever since Chara had absorbed his SOUL, and that Gaster seemed fine, then that only meant that someone else had to be draining Papyrus' magic. 

Sans cried out in alarm, filled with worry and concern again, and he started trying to get Chara's attention again. Sans hoped that they would both be able to stop whoever was draining his brother before it was too late.

***

“papyrus!!” Chara shouted, his eyelights switching to blue for a split second, as magic travelled up to the hybrids throat and out through their closed teeth, without Chara's consent, startling him since they couldn’t actually open their mouth at all.

‘Oh, right..shared control. I forgot how it felt like whenever that happened, it’s been so long technically…’ Chara thought to himself, as the fear and worry emanating from Sans' half of their combined soul threatened to drown and consume Chara. And he hated this feeling. He needed to keep his head on the battle, not...whatever the hell was happening inside.

Papyrus looked up weakly, his body trembling and bones rattling gently at the call of his own name when he thought he recognized the voice. " _S-SANS…?_ " Papyrus thought, this seeming to bring just a little more strength into him as hope filled his soul at the familiar voice, almost soothing it, though not by much.

Gaster still was unblinking, his emotions, specifically anger and hate, continuing to build as he summoned two more magical hands, each one glowing with yellow Justice soul magic and firing even more blasts at Betty. 

Betty quickly got to her feet, running to dodge the bullets, before turning around, changing her arm into a shield to defend herself.

Still, Gaster's rage continued to brew as he spoke again, "Is that all? ...then..." (Is that all? ...then...) Gaster flexed his fingers, purple Perseverance soul magic temporarily escaping as he clenched his fists.

Chara chilled at the strength of that magic, as how even colder Gaster felt struck their shared soul, as if the hybrid had been thrown into a bucket of ice cold water. Chara was still getting used to the fact that now his shared soul was so sensitive to that of those around him, able to sense the intensity of the emotions from the magic of others and even how strongly someones ‘intent to kill’ was. 

Though maybe it was also just because Chara's human red soul was currently fused to that of Sans, the literal JUDGE of the Underground, able to cast away sinners in the blink of an eye and kill you a hundred times over with sharp bones, or the mere flick of a wrist which would send your body slamming hard into a wall or blasting you with one of his Gaster blasters, if one had far too much LOVE; or could also even be your best friend and partner, if you were a Pacifist.

Chara’s face darkened and his red eyelights shrank to that of tiny little pin pricks as he finally felt the full extent of Gaster's rage. Near rivalling that of what Chara felt when he got to LV19. “G-Gaster wai-!!” He tried to call out to him, but it seemed Gaster could not hear him. And even if he did, it seemed that Gaster did not care either way.

“It’s my turn.” (It's my turn.)

Gaster's voice was cold like death warmed over. If Chara and Sans were the Judge in this fight, then most certainly, **Gaster** was the executioner. 

And Chara, still feeling the worry coming from Sans inside of him, and now the freezing cold hatred absolutely spilling out from Gaster's body like a dam had been blown wide open with a literal bomb, could not find it in him to move as Gaster let out a rage-induced **s c r e a m.**

Papyrus felt his bones crack from the pressure as he felt yet another, far stronger surge of his magic being drained. If his soul magic had been at about 80%, it dropped to about half in no time flat. Papyrus had once again fallen forward, unable to catch himself this time, as he felt the strength leave his body, his chest was now touching the lap of his legs and he could not move himself as he continued to sweat and tear up in fear. His body now felt as if it were made of lead, his vision hazy.

“PAPYRUS!!” Asriel cried, tears escaping his eyes, as he tried to help Papyrus sit up, finding that even if he could, he would not stay that way for very long as he continued to lose more and more magic. Asriel began to panic as well now. _‘If this keeps up, Papyrus will die…!! Why is my magic not healing him?! I’m my parents' SON for pete’s sake!!! They healed thousands in the War, and I can’t even heal one person...’_

Chara saw Gasters' eyelights flashing quickly from red, to purple, back and forth repeatedly before finally deciding on sticking to purple. Behind Gaster, 7 smaller Magical hands formed, followed by 2 extremely large hands AND one massive, giant Gaster Blaster, each one completely filling the air with the same exact amount of hate, grief, rage, guilt, sadness and sorrow Gaster had been harboring ever since Chara had fused with Sans and Chara couldn’t help but feel that this was his own fault.

Chara was terrified. And it showed as at this point, the hybrid was now collectively frozen into place by fear at what Gaster was about to do.

Gaster gritted his teeth as the two giant hands shot forward, one of them grabbing Betty, effectively trapping her hands and arms to her sides as she was lifted up again. The second one moved down to Betty's legs as Gaster began to twist and tear.

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE THIS TIME.” (YOU WON'T ESCAPE THIS TIME.)

Gaster spoke, his voice still leaking that icy cold tone to it tearing off Betty’s legs effortlessly, as Paps' magic continued being drained from him. Betty let out a painful screech as she was released, bloody stumps now where her legs had once been.

Pappy began to fall more limply against Asriel who still struggled to hold him upright in a sitting position, so he could have better access in healing Paps' soul directly. Papyrus' magic was now at a mere and shaking 30% from 50%.

Asriel was at a loss of what to do. He was now torn between wanting to watch the fight but also to continue trying to help Papyrus. There was also a shaky fear of Papyrus dusting in his care that Asriel simply couldn’t ignore, which only increased Asriel's frustration.

‘ _What the heck is happening? I’M A FREAKING BOSS MONSTER!! Why isn’t my magic working?!_ ’ Asriel thought in frustration, still struggling to heal Papyrus’s magic output and feeling quite desperate.

Chara's worry seemed to only intensify, as he couldn’t even focus on the fight anymore. Sans' worries for his brother were now forcing Chara to want to only focus on Paps and think about why Paps now had less than half of his magic left?! And who was doing this to him???? Who kept trying to kill his brother?!

It made Chara feel sick to his stomach, feeling the need to vomit as he struggled against Sans' wants and urges, and especially the horrible need to want to jump in should Gaster be in danger, to which all of Chara's own nerves and systems were sending all kinds of red flags to stay the hell away from, sensing Gaster as possibly a danger to both himself and those around him, just from the sheer amount of animosity exploding out of the skeleton father. There was no telling that if Chara got involved now, whether Gaster would even be able to tell that the hybrid was friend, not foe. And Chara certainly did not want to risk their lives in finding that out. Although, a part of him also felt guilty still, understanding Sans' worry, as he was almost sure that he’d be just as distracted if the same thing was happening to Asriel.

Shakily, Chara allowed himself to take a glance over to his brother and Papyrus, noticing how close to unconsciousness Papyrus was at this point. And Chara feared if they didn’t do something fast, they’d end up losing someone on this day after all...

***

Sans watched as his father continued to brutalize Betty through Chara's eyes with ever growing anxiety. He could still feel that Papyrus' magic was being drained and he desperately wanted to help out his brother, to the point where he basically started shouting at Chara, desperately trying to convince him to help Asriel.

At first, Chara was too distracted by making sure that Betty didn't manage to slip away from Gaster and kill them both, but as time went on, Sans was able to tell that they were quite worried as well. Even when they attempted to reassure Sans, by telling him that Papyrus would be okay, they didn't really seem like they believed it to be true themselves. 

This became especially true, as when Chara turned their attention over to the Prince and Papyrus, and took in the sight of how close Papyrus seemed to be from dusting, Sans felt the pang of worry coming from them, and how their determination seemed to disappear a little.

***

‘ _Come on...focus…! Sans, he’ll be okay… just, let me focus...okay? I promise he’ll be fine!_ ’ Chara mentally argued with himself, half hoping Sans could hear him as he continued to watch Gaster tear Betty apart, the more magic Gaster was using the more Chara worried for Gaster's soul and wellbeing, as Chara could sense Gaster’s soul beginning to crack, and the fact it was starting to seem that Paps was losing magic equal to whenever Gaster used magic…

‘ _Sans..I...I think Gaster might be using Paps magic to make his own stronger…’_

***

Chara told Sans their theory. At first Sans didn't really believe them, telling them that Gaster would never hurt any of them, that he wanted to keep them all safe too, but as time went on, that got harder and harder to believe. After all, Papyrus' magic levels _did_ seem to drop every time that Gaster used an attack. And now they were dropping to truly dangerous levels and Gaster's SOUL was starting to crack. 

***

Chara could already feel Sans wanting to argue with this theory, saying Gaster would never put Papyrus in danger like that, but it was looking more and more like this wasn’t just a theory anymore when the sky began to turn black, as Gaster forced more magic and Paps' magic supply suddenly dropped to a very dangerous 5% of his magic reserves. And Papyrus now indeed looked just like hardened dust, as he laid there besides Asriel, shivering bone and seeping magic. Chara knew there was no way Sans could deny this possibility anymore. Not if he wanted a chance in saving Papyrus.

Chara knew he couldn’t let Gaster continue on like this either, and knew he needed to step in.

Especially since Gaster seemed so incessantly keen on making sure there was nothing of Betty's body left, not even a single strand of hair or blood splatter.

Fine.

He could step in and finish it, but first he needed Sans' help in snapping Gaster out of his grief and get him to calm down before Gaster did something he’d regret for the rest of his life. Sans needed to be the one to let him know he was still alive and well _._ It was obvious at this point Gaster may not have even heard Sans reply and possibly truly believed that Sans was dead. Gaster needed to speak to his son personally. Or Gaster could potentially kill himself and Papyrus, or even just Papyrus only.

It was the only way to save Papyrus and save Gaster from himself.

Chara could sense Gaster's soul starting to crack even worse and now Papyrus' magic supply had hit the 2% marker. Around the same level as when Papyrus had saved Sans from Betty and the Hatred and when he came back to them in the Fallen Down state.

***

Sans realized at the same time that Chara did that it was now or never, so he quickly took control of their shared body for the second time.

***

It was now or never. 

Do or die.

No holds barred.

_No pressure, right?_

*** 

"gaster, stop!!!" Sans shouted, desperate to save them both and make himself loud and clear for Gaster to hear through the angry storm Gaster was currently inside of, lost and afraid and grieving for the son he never actually lost.

"i'm still here dad. even if it's not exactly the same as it used to be. so please, stop before you kill yourself and papyrus." Sans begged, a few tears began to leak from the eye sockets of the hybrid's body, sorrow shining in their now blue eyelights. 

Fortunately, as soon as Gaster heard Sans voice, he stopped attacking Betty all at once. Like, someone had relit a candle, and the hatred seeping out of the skeleton ceased altogether like it wasn’t even there to begin with. 

Had Sans waited a couple more seconds, then Gaster and Papyrus would have surely died, but luckily, it was enough. Gaster de-summoned his blaster and all of the hands, his purple eyelights disappearing and being replaced by a red eyelight and a very faint blue eyelight. As this happened, Papyrus' left eyelight also flashed red and some of the cracks on his body healed as all of the magic that Gaster had taken from him but hadn't used was returned to him. Papyrus gasped, now fully awake, and returning back to consciousness with a jolt.

“PAPS!!!” Asriel cried, joyous, as he practically threw himself over the tall skeleton brother and cried his little heart out that Paps didn’t dust right then and there.

Paps stared at the young Prince in confusion, before gently placing a boney hand over the back of Azzy's head, the other resting on the small of his back to try and comfort him.

***

Chara, now that they knew for sure Paps and Gaster were no longer in immediate danger, took this opportunity to retake control, along with Sans. The hybrid's eyes glowing both red and blue at the same time now, as Sans summoned whatever little magic he had, and Chara began focusing their determination. Sans, with the aid of Chara's determination, which he began allowing Sans to borrow, summoned one final Gaster blaster, whose own eye sockets also now glowed a red and blue eyelight as he then blasted a firey red and blue colored beam at whatever was left of Betty's corpse. 

This caused a huge explosion, strong enough to wipe out an entire City block and leave a massive crater in its wake, and dealing a devastating 9999999 damage as Betty's body disintegrated into nothingness. Not even her own blood remained as it was completely obliterated, Hate and all.

The feeling tingled all along the Hybrids whole body and their souls leaving them both quite exhausted, Sans having lost consciousness almost immediately as soon as the beam had died down and so the Blaster disintegrated as well.

“Whew…” Chara breathed, flopping down to the ground a bit groggily.

Asriel let out a sigh of relief now that the danger had passed. Feeling quite exhausted having also used a good amount of his own magic in attempt to heal Papyrus. “Finally…”

Gaster collapsed to his knees, taking in the sight of Betty finally being gone,now appearing like all the energy had been spent out of him as he sat there, disgusted in himself and the idea of what he’d almost done. Of the idea of losing Papyrus. And he hated himself. Gaster sucked in a breath and closed his eyes.

Papyrus however, still unsure of what was happening, did not hold any hate for Gaster. His father had been through a lot, and he didn’t blame Gaster one bit.

Still, it seemed Gaster was purposely trying to avoid Papyrus' gaze as he mumbled out, “I’m so tired…” Before losing consciousness.

Papyrus caught him, laying him down gently, as Chara turned his head towards Paps and Asriel, he felt his body start to relax as he took in what remained of his friends and family happy they’d all managed to make it out alive.

He could see the looks of Azzy and Paps' faces, tons of questions they wanted to ask him, and probably Sans too but Chara told them he'll explain later and they should go find mom and the king, their dad. He could feel Sans' SOUL resting inside of their body, completely exhausted but no longer afraid and no longer dying. Safe.

Chara offered to help Paps carry Gaster since he could tell on the skeleton's face he looked about ready to pass out himself, but Paps insisted in wanting to carry their father back. Chara nodded in understanding, as he began to make their way back to the stadium where surely Toriel and Asgore waited. One of his hands moved subconsciously over his own chest right over his soul, protectively and in a comforting manner as he whispered to himself and to Sans, although knowing Sans probably couldn’t hear him.

“We did it. Told you I’d protect them all...thanks for trusting in me Uncle Sans.”


	2. CHARANS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Skele/Human Hybrid think on how to come up with a name for themselves now that the battles over and things have calmed down, before having a talk with Toriel and Gaster about their family situations and so on.

The hybrid skeleton monster/human sat in the middle of the living room deep in thought sitting cross-legged on the floor with their arms crossed over their chest. 

“What about Chans as a name?” Chara suggested to Sans, talking to the monster that he now shared a body with.

It had only been a day and a few hours since the fight with Betty, and so everyone was only really just starting to recover from their injuries and trauma and so on from the battle. After depositing Asriel, Gaster and Papyrus over at the Arena where Toriel and Asgore were, as they looked the most exhausted after the fight. Chara had been controlling their hybrid body, checking up on the humans and monsters and taking note of those most in need of healing and made sure they got the help they needed as well as the casualty count for both races. Them being the Ambassador and all, they also made sure to inform them the danger had passed, and one hour into nighttime they had finally returned home. Or, what was left of it.

The next day, after they'd all had a good breakfast, thanks to Toriel's cooking, and once Chara had felt Sans coming back to consciousness, his magic slowly returning. They had decided to take time out to first focus on name ideas for their new hybrid body before telling everyone about the metaphorical elephant in the room about who they were and also question Sans for why he’d started to melt suddenly and what had happened to him, after rescuing him from the HATE Betty had given him. 

Chara thought a name to call themselves could also help know what to call themselves now, considering they technically weren’t just “Chara” and “Sans” anymore. Even though they both still retained their own individual memories and personality. And just their SOULs and body had merged but both could still control their new body individually or even together, as hinted by the color of their eyelights.

Although Chara also wasn’t afraid to admit it to themselves and Sans that it was also half to not focus on the trauma of the past three days as well and for stalling purposes, sensing how Sans really didn’t want to relive his own almost-death again. Though Chara couldn’t blame him 

Chara knew Sans and everyone had been through a lot, and he especially didn’t want to freak out their new soul roommate by recalling the details of what had happened to him since Betty stole his soul, up to when they reunited again when Betty had used Sans against Chara in their fight before Papyrus saved Sans. Chara thought this would have been a good excuse to avoid the topic for as much as possible, and to buy time for Sans to relax a bit now that he was conscious again within his SOUL. Not to mention too, Chara was getting tired of not knowing what the heck to call themselves, or having both their families not know either when addressing them. 

It felt ‘wrong’ in a sense when their families called them by their former names, as even though Chara indeed chose to fuse with Sans soul for a noble cause, to save his life. They were now stuck like this permanently, and their SOULs could not be separated. As doing so would kill one of them for sure. Or even both, if done sloppily. 

Sans was still quite tired despite the time that he had spent resting in their hybrid body while Chara remained in control, and the breakfast that they had had . But, that was to be expected, considering that his SOUL was only about half full of magic right now or less. Since he was at maybe 0.10% magic by the time Chara had fused with him. 

Sans always had superb magic reserves. Partially, it was his because it was his body's own way of making up for his poor stats and especially weak 1HP. He needed _something_ to be able to defend himself with. Which was the main reason why Sans was able to shortcut and teleport his way around, momentarily freeze time, and so on. However, now since he was fused with Chara, it felt he had way more, having his own determination to boost his magic from the small sliver Gaster had injected him with, mixed along with a little of Undyne’s blood. And now access on top of that to Chara’s own indefinite amounts of DT too.

It would definitely take a lot more to recover his magic back to full. But it was enough in the meantime. At least to keep him conscious while they talked.

"eh, i don't know chara." He replied tiredly, though Chara could tell that he was very grateful that they were using this to help avoid having to explain, well, everything. These past few days had been bad enough as it was, and Sans was not looking forward to relieving it all again. "it doesn't really sound right, if you get what i mean."

“Hmmm, you’re right. It sounds too cutesy.” Chara told them, thinking harder. “Sanchara? No… it doesn’t roll off the tongue too well. Sansra? Sanara?”

“What about Sara?” Asriel suggested, trying to be helpful. He was sitting by the Hybrid as well, along with Papyrus who was watching them a little anxiously, never wanting to leave his brother's side. 

Sans could feel how worried Papyrus was about him, even though he was also extremely grateful that he hadn't lost the one person that had always been by his side forever. But still, for Papyrus it still felt odd, feeling his brother's presence and magic around him, but not seeing him. In a sense. Only the blue tint to the Hybrids left eye socket giving any sort of indication that Sans was also now sharing half control at least to speak.

“That sounds like Sarah, and that's a girls’ name. Good try tho Az, but hmmm..this is hard.” Chara frowned, almost pouting in frustration. “Uh, Pappy? How about you? Have you got any name suggestions?” Chara asked.

“HUH? OH...I DON’T KNOW…” Paps said, scratching the back of his elbow, shifting his sockets to the side. Part of him not wanting to call them anything but the name ‘Sans’ and ‘Chara,’ but he knew that wasn’t who they were now and he was struggling wrapping his skull around this entire situation. He just missed his older brother so much, and he felt so alone even though he knew Sans was still there, feeling his soul strongly now in nearly 24 hours and that sensation brought some feeling of comfort for Papyrus but not nearly enough.

Papyrus just wanted his brother to have his own body back so bad, he wanted to hug Sans and never let him go. To protect him from the world, and feeling as though it was partly his fault for not protecting them faster and maybe Sans wouldn’t have pushed himself that far to start melting for an unknown cause. Even though Paps also knew that was silly to think about, since Sans had told him he was still slowly dying anyways.

Even if Sans hadn’t pushed himself, it would have maybe bought Sans another 5 minutes or so until he probably started melting anyways. Maybe it was better this way, and Chara had absorbed his brother’s soul. At least Sans wasn’t dead, his soul shattered and him gone for good. He was still alive. Just, sharing a body now. But he was here. Alive and well. Papyrus shouldn’t be ungrateful.

Right?

Chara looked back at Papyrus, feeling a bit guilty as he noticed how Paps shifted in place, feeling bad for the younger skeleton and sighed. Chara was determined, but he wished he knew what to say to make Papyrus feel better. It was weird and wrong seeing him so sad beneath that smile of his. It reminded him of Sans at times.

Sans had also made a mental note to talk to Papyrus about this later, as he hated seeing his brother this upset and didn't want him to suffer in silence. 

‘even though that's what i did. and still do.' He thought to himself, thinking about the resets and the countless timelines he’d been brought to the Surface, and then thrust right back Underground again only to see everybody killed and then killed himself eventually, and then most recently with what Betty had done, and how he was still hesitating to talk about it, before quickly pushing the thoughts aside, somewhat hoping that Chara hadn't noticed.

Chara felt Sans thoughts and suddenly just really wished that he could hug both the brothers in an act to comfort them both, almost even doing so and reaching out slightly wanting to grab Papyrus, but he held back. Knowing full well he was the reason why Paps was so sad at the very least. _‘Paps is never allowed to be sad,’_ Chara thought. So used to Paps being the sensible, happy one who always, _always_ looked for the positives in life and believing in everyone. Chara couldn’t help but doubt whether he did the right thing or not in this sometimes.

Papyrus seemed to sense this, and thus, forced a smile not liking that he was bringing everyone down. He was the Great Papyrus after all!! “UUH, WHAT ABOUT CHARANS?” Papyrus piped up.

“Hmm… ”Charans” huh?” Chara asked, kinda liking how it sounded. “‘ _I am “Charans,” the demon that comes when people call it’s name.’”_ Chara thought too himself, liking it more and more with their little angsty, edgy nickname he'd given himself when he and Asriel were playing and made up their edgy names for each other. “What do you think Uncle Sans?”

"i like the sound of that. good idea bro." Sans said out loud, their body's eyelights both flashing blue as he took control and smiled happily at his brother.

“I like it too!” Azzy agreed, nodding his head, his little floppy goat ears bouncing with the movement. 

“Hehe, sure. Alright, Charans it is then!” Chara agreed happily. “Charans Dreemurr the skeleton?” Chara blanched, also suddenly realizing the other elephant in the room and not really knowing who’s family they belonged to. His mind seemed to freeze in place, not really wanting to leave Asriel, or Toriel and Asgore. And he knew Sans wouldn’t want to be separated from his own family either.

A sudden feeling also occurred for him, and that was the fact that technically, now he and Sans were, theoretically neither Monster nor Human anymore. Physically anyways, and who knows in other ways too... Would this cause problems for trying to get peace? What about Chara’s job as the Ambassador? What even were they if neither one? 

How would the humans react seeing this new being? Yesterday they reacted fine, but it might have been because some were still in the initial shock from the Betty fiasco. But still- What if all they’d done up to this point was undone because of Chara’s actions?

"chara, i'm sure it will be fine." Sans said comfortingly to him. "even after asgore revealed that he killed those children, the only person that tried to get revenge on monsterkind soon regretted their actions. i think it's safe to say that humans have accepted us." Although he was trying to comfort Chara, Sans still shivered a little when he mentioned Jessica, even though he did believe what Papyrus had told him, that she regretted what she had done and redeemed herself, it still brought back some bad memories for him and his feelings about her were still somewhat complicated.

“I don’t know...Humans have a tendency to get violent and scared whenever it comes to anything that they don’t understand.” Chara said bitterly, it was obvious they still had that habit of not liking humanity too much, even now and Chara hated that he still fell into old habits even if it was somewhat true. 

"but they still mostly accepted us basically as soon as we escaped the underground, hell the amd has been completely disbanded now."

“Yeah, I know but...still,” Chara argued, as he tried to stay determined. Sure, Sans had a point but humanity was fickle and oftentimes, both predictable and not at the exact same time. Humanity would _always_ find some reason or another to disagree over stupid stuff. Racism, Feminism and Womens’ rights, LGBT people, Magic and non magic, Monster Rights. All the same. 

Chara could just see it now, and it pissed him off. They’d ignore the fact a 14 year old boy decided to save his friend through fusion and that they're still technically two separate people. They might even write it that the Monsters Ambassador was killed or something in the headlines. They’d then complain that their new hybrid body was double dipping in both Human and Monster resources, even though not even Chara and Sans knew how this worked yet.

Chara had been in a Human/Monster hybrid body before but it lasted only around 10 minutes before he and Asriel had both been killed. This one, hopefully would last a lot longer, if he had anything to say about it.

They could also very well just see ‘Charans’ as some kind of freak-of-nature, and probably sell them off to a Circus… Probably do some horrible experiments on them, see how they tick. They’d be tortured…

What if their family also got hurt because of them? Because of Chara's brash decision to save Sans' life without thinking about the consequences first? 

Of course, Chara didn’t think about the consequences again before acting…

 _‘Now, you understand. It's time to begin your judgement. Look inside yourself. Have you really done the right thing? And, considering what you've done… What will you do now?’_ Sans voice spoke up, in a far-off distant memory, sounding slightly different without his comic sans accent to it, as memories seemed to flood Chara's mind. He seemed to be speaking to a black silhouette of a kid that looked like Chara but he could not make out their face, the memory glitching. And Chara just a little ways from them, still a ghost and very much dead.

But then….why did it also feel like Sans was telling THEM that?

Chara winced a bit, trying to remember the child that was outlined all in black and in shadow. ‘ _Who...was that?’_ Chara thought, as he struggled against the slightly growing headache as he struggled to remember. Somehow, he _knew_ Sans wasn’t talking to him, even as the shadowy, glitchy child kept turning into Chara. He just knew it wasn’t since Chara was supposed to still be dead then.

Sans mentally noticed this, focusing his magic inward to gently poke at Chara’s soul. Waking him up from the lucid daydream.

Chara frowned, trying to refocus again on what was directly in front of them and the here and now. “I-I’m just saying...We all probably still shouldn’t let our guards down. Who knows how humanity is gonna react to all this? I just don’t want another War on our hands and it turns out to be all our-... _my_ fault.” Chara said, stopping himself. Part of him wanted to still say ‘our’ just so he wouldn’t feel alone in all this, but the truth was, if Monsterkind did in fact start suffering again, it really _would_ be all Chara's fault.

Because, once again, Chara had reacted without thinking first.

Because he was _still_ just a dumb little kid, making dumb mistakes, still not thinking things through before acting, still going off and ruining things as he always did. People always paying the consequences for loving dumb old Chara. 

Clumsy Chara. _Lying_ Chara. **Stupid** Chara.

 _‘Just smile and laugh away the pain.’_ Chara thought to themselves, retaking control just to clench their hands into a fist, still tucked beneath his arm and over their chest. This _isn’t_ going to end the same way it did with you and Asriel. You learned. You’ll be more careful this time. You won’t get anyone killed again this time, He told himself.

"chara…" Sans interrupted, before waiting until he had the humans full attention before he continued. "i understand your fear, hell i'm afraid to. but you need to remember that it's not your fault if another war happens, okay? it's not your fault if some human decides to be terrible again. because remember, if you hadn't done what you did...i...i..wouldn't even be alive right now. all you wanted to do was save the life of a friend and there's nothing wrong with that. and right now, there's nothing that we can do about it but move forward and deal with whatever the world decides to throw at us." He continued gently, before wrapping them in a tight mental hug, sending his magic over slightly, and all the love, hope and compassion that made Monsters over to Chara, wrapping up the human soul glued to his own monster one in gentle warmth.

Chara stayed silent, although he was grateful for the mental hug, still brewing over a ton of ‘what-ifs’ and trying to tell himself he’s not gonna get Sans killed like he’d done to Asriel. Not again.

Asriel and Pap stared at them, not knowing what either of them should say to cheer Chara up.

“Ch-Cha...I don’t think Mom would just... kick you out of the house, even if you did look like this now.” Asriel spoke up, gently after a minute passed. “We accepted you into our home, just 20 years after the War and treated you like one of us. You’ll always be our Chara. And my brother. No matter what you may look like now. And, you know how Mom is. I’m sure she’d even let Pap and Gaster stay too so they can still be with their family too.” 

Asriel also then added. “And, Dads been alone for so long since… I’m sure he’d be more than willing to accept everyone here when he wakes up! It’ll be exactly the same just- slightly bigger with having two Dads and 2 extra siblings.”

Chara looked up at Asriel's face, seeing the hopeful look on the goat monster's face and smiled. “Y-yeah..maybe you’re right.”

"and i'm sure that you guys, tori, fluffy buns and dad would be okay with us being a part of both of our families." Sans said tiredly, briefly taking control again so that he could speak out loud as well

Paps smiled, a little more genuine this time, and hope filled his still aching, tired and lonely soul that he wouldn’t have to be separated from his brother. “NYEHEHEH! I ALSO AGREE! LADY ASGORE IS SO KIND AND WELCOMING, AND YOU, SANS AND HER ARE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS TOO, I DO NOT SEE WHY SHE WOULDN’T ACCEPT US? UNLESS, MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS SUCH A SLOB BROTHER! HOPEFULLY CHARA CAN HELP YOU FIX THOSE BAD HABITS!” Papyrus added, teasingly.

Chara smirked at Papyrus gentle teasing, searching inwardly at Sans and could almost feel Sans feeling embarrassed and laughed.

Sans retreated a little from his link with Chara, their shared body cringing as he was still in control, seeming embarrassed but not super upset or anything, especially since Chara could tell that he was laughing a little as well. “alright, alright. i’ll try and keep our room a little cleaner, alright?”

“Don’tcha mean _our_ room? Haha, don’t worry. I’ll help keep it clean.” Chara also teased, joining in on the fun, gently making their right eye glow red, so they both could share control at the same time.

Asriel chuckled too, already feeling like a family and they hadn’t even yet brought it up to Toriel and Gaster whom he could still faintly hear through the walls arguing in one of the guest rooms. Asriel was grateful at least they weren’t arguing in Asgore’s room where he was still healing and unconscious. 

Asriel shuddered as he recalled yesterday, seeing his father like that, and then finding out Mom had been the one who’d injured their dad so badly because of Betty's influence while Asriel was still under the control of the Hate. How it had made Asriel so viciously mad at his mother but luckily, Asriel was too tired to have done anything, having used up a lot of his magic in trying to heal Papyrus when Gaster was accidentally draining him.

Asriel still held some resentment towards Tori and refused to look her in the eyes that morning, or even speak to her even as everyone ate and replenished their energy and magical levels. Asriel himself continued to ignore her, even as Chara and Papyrus tried to gain peace among their small family. 

Gaster too seemed to be just as angry at Toriel for what she did to his friend, which was why they were arguing.

Asriel still was worried for their father and hoped he’d make it through somehow and survive. 

Sans noticed Asriel's distress and immediately teleport-glomped him, then continued hugging him tightly.

Chara, also sensing Asriel's distress and worry through the gently shifting tone of Azzys magic, joins in on the hug, Chara controlling their right arm, and Sans controlling the left to hug him tightly. “Shh... Dad’s gonna be fine, Az. We got all the best Monster doctors on the clock watching over him, and even Undyne too standing guard. It’s gonna be okay, Az.” Chara said to Asriel in an effort to comfort him.

Asriel nodded, already tears beginning to form in his eyes as worry consumed him, not able to get rid of the traumatizing memory of Asgore just lying there on the ground, fur and the skin under badly burned and him bleeding out. Coupled with other memories from days before that when Sans had moved to protect him from Betty. Asriel did feel somewhat better especially at the thoughts of having such a strong monster such as Undyne keeping watch, even though she too, looked like she needed some healing, but she insisted not to rest when so many Monsters and humans had been attacked and in need of more care than herself.

Though Asriel thought that was simply Undyne also coping with the fact her Alphys truly was gone for good. And she was dealing with it by distracting herself with her hero duties. Asriel sniffled, clinging to Charans and trying so hard not to start crying, knowing he wouldn’t be able to stop once it started and then Chara would tease him calling him a crybaby. Eventually, Asriel calmed himself down enough, gently backing away from their hold. “Thanks.” Asriel spoke, now noticing the glint of blue in Charans left eye and puzzled a bit, “Sans? Why did you hug me?”

Sans gave Asriel a gentle smile, Charans' right eyelight briefly flashing blue as well. "because i'd be a pretty bad big brother if i just ignored the fact that one of my little brothers was upset." He replied, before gently nuzzling Asriel.

Chara swore he coulda melted right then and there as he watched the two from within, now watching through Sans eyes as he allowed Sans to have this moment with his brother. My. Stars, were they adorable. He did not regret this even the slightest bit as he felt a warmth send his soul aflutter.

Asriel giggled in reply and nuzzled up with Charans right back affectionately, his fur soft against Charans skin…? It had the texture of skin anyways, but hard like bone at the exact same time. “I love you Sans-Charans. Oh, I hope Mom and Mr. Gaster say it’s okay, we’re going to have so much fun!” Asriel promised, already feeling so happy, that he completely forgot what it was about he was even sad for in the first place.

"asriel?" Sans mumbled after a few more minutes, deciding that there was something else that he needed to say, though that didn't stop him from shivering at the memory. "i don't blame you for what happened. you did the best that you could and it was my choice anyway."

Asriel's smile vanished instantly when Sans brought that up, turning into a pout instead. “You should...Because of me, you- _you could've died!!_ A-And now, you and Chara are stuck like this. Possibly forever, why wouldn’t you blame me? I know that was all my fault…! I messed up, again.” Asriel argued, as he soon got stuck into some self-loathing thoughts. “Just like I messed up Chara’s plan to free us all way sooner.and betrayed him. And, and ended up as a soulless flower and tortured you and-!!”

"asriel, listen to me." Sans said firmly. "i can't exactly speak for what happened with you and chara, but i was the one that chose to save you. you never forced me to. we all had no idea what that thing was planning, what was about to happen, and i doubt that there's anything that we could have done differently considering what we knew. so, i don't blame you at all, and i really mean that." He then sighed and looked down at the floor, starting to shake a little "and about what you did as flowey, yes it was horrible, and yes, i wish that you hadn't done it, but as you asked me too before, i'm not going to look at you as flowey anymore. after all, we can't change the past, so all we can do is move forward."

“Yeah, especially since I literally destroyed the Reset button...Heh.” Chara broke in, momentarily taking control while trying to lighten the mood before giving it back to Sans, knowing that Asriel needed to hear this. Poor little guy can get so obsessive, and he knew Asriel still hated and blamed himself for the things he did as Flowey, even if it really couldn’t be helped and it wasn’t Asriel's fault.

He and Flowey were two separate beings. Simple as that. They just so happened to share...dust... or whatever. But nothing more. 

Asriel could feel the waterworks start again, burning the backs of his eyes as he fought hard not to let himself start crying. “You’re too kind to me Sans...but...even so, I still could have stopped that. I-I should have been stronger, and- broke out of Betty's illusion faster, then you wouldn’t even have had to save me… Then you wouldn’t have had your soul stolen, and then used to fight Chara and your own brother, and...and all that happened yesterday too may not have happened either, but, I will make it up to you, somehow. Both of you…! Okay?” Asriel gently squeezed the pants leg of his trousers tightly as he said that, blinking back furiously the tears still threatening to spill like a dam from his eyes. “I promise, Sans.You won’t ever have to go through all that again. I know you hate making promises, but- still.”

Papyrus noticed the tense shifting of Asriel's shoulders and hugged the little goat boy tightly. “ASRIEL. STOP. I DO NOT BLAME YOU EITHER FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO MY DEAR BROTHER. AND YOU SHOULDN’T NEITHER.”

“B-But-”

“Az.” Chara said this time, again stealing back the control for but a moment as he looked Asriel dead in the eyes, as Papyrus held and coddled him. 

Chara sighed, “Look, I don’t...I mean, I guess I should have known... the plan would fail from the get go. You were always such a good little kid. You didn’t have the same bitterness and anger that I did towards those humans, and...I’m sorry I pressured you into tagging along. If anything, it’s just as much my fault as well for not thinking about how you felt about the entire thing and for the plan failing. I just wanted to make it up to you for allowing me into your home and for treating me like I actually belonged even though I was a human, and part of the species that trapped you all down there.” Chara said with as much sincerity as he could manage.

“It wasn’t fair what the humans did to you and I was just desperate. But, I’m sorry too brother. And for...stealing the control and forcing us to take my dead body up to the Surface. That was also stupid. I...I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also may have used you because I wanted revenge on those people for everything that they did. To the Monsters, to me. For putting you all behind that godforsaken Barrier. It was a stupid plan. And I see that now. After everything that happened. And I’m sorry…”

Sans carefully took partial control again and resumed gently nuzzling Asriel while he waited for Chara to finish talking, also giving them a mental hug as well. "i promise that i don't need you to do anything to make it up to me. and you should know how seriously i take my promises." He said gently, once Chara had given him back total control, before a small smile crept onto Charans' face. "except for maybe cleaning my room for me." He added jokingly, before his smile faded and he shivered again. "sounds like we've all got a lot of stuff that we need to work through."

“Yeah. You got that right.” Chara agreed, letting Sans have control in the meantime and returning the mental hug.

Papyrus' lower jaw quivered, and suddenly he wrapped his long boney arms around both Charans and Asriel squishing them both up against his chest. As if attempting to suffocate them all with all the love he had in his soul to give and then some.

Asriel grunted a little, patting Paps on the skull before nodding at Charans as well in agreement. “G-Guess...we’re all a little bit m-messed up.” Asriel struggled, having a bit of trouble getting some air in as he continued to be squished by Pappys hug. Paps noticed this and after a minute longer he loosened his hold on them both as Azzy flopped on the floor, gasping for air.

Soon they heard the sound of a door opening and footsteps heading towards them all. The footsteps then stopped outside of their room and there was a knock on the door.

“I got it.” Charans said, sneaking out of Paps hold and going to open the door. “Oh, greetihiya,  toMom.” Charans had said when both decided to speak at the exact same time. Both eyelights were glowing both red and blue at the same time.

Asriel and Papyrus snickered teasingly. Papyrus’s bones rattling gently with the motion of trying to contain his laughter.

Toriel laughed quietly as well and smiled at the little group. "Greetings my children, Papyrus, Sans. Have you decided on a name yet?" 

“HELLO, LADY ASGORE! I HOPE YOU ARE WELL TODAY!” Papyrus beamed, trying to show his best mood and hope that it would give her the same feelings as well.

"Papyrus, could you please just call me Toriel?" She asked gently, though there was a slight touch of irritation in her voice.

“SORRY, LADY A- ER, LADY TORIEL?” Papyrus corrected himself, though finding it difficult once stuck in a habit as he often did. Papyrus seemed to sense the bad mood she was feeling and shrunk in on himself sadly.

Toriel thought for a bit, then smiled at him again. "Lady Toriel is fine." She replied.

“Oh, yeah. We’ve decided to call ourselves ‘Charans.’” Chara spoke this time, and both eyes now glowing red as he resumed control. He and Sans noticed how Paps had shrunken wishing to give the poor Skellie a hug before they continued, “How’s...Dad doing?”

Asriel remained mute, still slightly angry, but not nearly as much as yesterday. He too seemed to perk up however when Chara brought up Asgore, at least now showing he was listening for any news about him.

Toriel hesitated before replying, easily noticing Asriel's anger "Asgore is doing well. The doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery." Despite her attempts to control herself, Chara and Asriel could still hear the sadness and guilt in her voice, as even though she didn't really like Asgore, she hadn't wanted to hurt him, and she especially hadn't wanted to hurt him so badly.

“Oh, that’s great Mom! I hope Dad wakes up soon.” Chara said, trying to keep the peace as much as possible. At least, somewhat understanding of what had happened, as Toriel had explained to him when Sans was still asleep after everything that happened. Chara also couldn’t help but feel partly to blame for their separation, but he hoped they’d get back together some day, and Chara stayed determined to make sure they did. 

Asriel on the other hand, wasn’t as understanding as Chara was, though he tried to be. He was more confused and hurt as to why his mother would try and kill their dad, knowing Asgore couldn’t help it that he had to kill those children. And for wanting war because of what happened. It had been tough on both of them.

Asriel remembered some days, living in the Ruins with Toriel as Flowey and how many times she’d even cried herself to bed some days while muttering Asriel's or even Charas names. Asgore had been more conservative, putting the kingdom over his own emotions, and as Flowey, he couldn’t understand any of it either. Not having a soul or emotions of his own. Asriel couldn’t help but think back to those days even now, and how their family was still strained, even after he and Chara had come back.

He just couldn’t understand why they couldn’t just go back to loving each other like before….

“So...uh…anyways....” Chara scratched the back of his head, knowing Toriel wanted to know what had happened with him and Sans that made...Charans but wasn’t quite sure how or even where to start and he wanted to also be sure Sans was ready to bring up past traumas. Chara checked within himself, giving Sans a little mental poke just to be sure he was alright and who should start.

Chara could feel that Sans had noticed their mental poke, but he seemed reluctant to discuss what had happened, instead seeming to retreat a little further from the outside world. 

"It's alright, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Toriel said kindly, seeming to notice how uncomfortable Sans was with the situation.

Chara pouted also noticing this, and, really he didn’t entirely blame him, although a part of Chara was also a tad bit curious as to what Gaster even did with his determination he gave and considered something. “Um, do you want me to explain for you Sans? You can tell me instead and I can just relay it back, if that's easier?” Chara suggested, trying to be gentle and not also just pry into Sans life by reading his memory as he wanted it all to be consensual, with trust.

"...i don't know. i don't really even want to think about what happened, let alone talk about it." Sans said hesitantly. "especially since i would normally hide things like this." He thought, before once again quickly pushing it away.

“I know…we’re only asking because we care though, Sans. And, I mean I don’t even know what happened, I just know by the time I got there, you looked like you really needed some help.”

"i know, but that doesn't make that much easier to talk about."

“Hmm..do you want me to just ask Mom then what she thinks of adopting Pappy and..you. Us? And we can talk about it some other time?” Chara suggested, giving Sans a mental pat on the back.

"....okay. i should probably talk about it though."

“You can later. It’s whenever, I don't wanna make you feel you're forced to do this. I mean, I know how Monsters are regarding their souls and Betty had yours for a long time...I can’t even imagine what you went through, half alive within your soul. So, really it’s fine. Heck, I _did_ live with you guys for years before I up and killed myself trying to be a hero. Just, do it whenever you're comfortable okay? Mom’ll understand.” Chara spoke to Sans before bringing his attention back to Toriel.

“Mom? Since...I’m kinda fused with Sans now...Can Papyrus, Sans and Mr. Gaster live with us? I mean-...” Chara stuttered, not sure how to word it, since technically it wasn’t like Sans just stopped existing. He was still alive. And could still interact with everyone, think his own thoughts, had his own memories and everything. Just… they shared a body now. That’s all. 

This still heavily confused Chara, but he hoped Toriel still understood.

Toriel smiled at Charans, seeming to understand what he meant. "That would be completely fine. I wouldn't want to separate Dr Gaster and Papyrus from Sans after all." 

“R-Really?” Chara grinned. “Hey Sans did you hear that?”

Papyrus could barely contain himself, inflating again like a balloon as he quickly got to his feet and gave Toriel a massive hug happily, practically spinning her around in his delight. “OH THANK YOU LADY TORIEL!! NYEHEHEH!!”

Asriel could also barely contain his excitement at the news, actually smiling finally. Though he still refused to speak to Tori. “Told you Pappy. Haha”

Sans was grinning as well, though he still seemed on edge. "yeah, i heard." 

Toriel hugged Papyrus back, smiling happily at him. "You're all very welcome." She replied, trying to hide how hurt she was that Asriel still wasn't speaking to her.

Papyrus then put Toriel down, and now picked up both his new brothers just as Chara was about to speak to Asriel to forgive Mom already before he was cut off. Papyrus spun them around as well and then gently bumped foreheads to them as well in an affectionate manner. 

Asriel and Chara began to laugh, doing the same thing to Paps, they were so happy. Still, Chara couldn’t help but feel he needed to have a serious talk with Asriel about how he was behaving, as he hated seeing Toriel looking so sad. Sans laughed as well and forehead bumped his skeleton brother back, seeming more relaxed now than he had been a few minutes ago, but still not completely relaxed.

“NYEHEHE! I SHOULD MAKE SOME SPAGHETTI IN CELEBRATION!!”

Chara could almost feel Sans cringe in anticipation and Chara smiled. “Sure, Paps. Maybe Mom can help.”

“NONSENSE!! I CAN ASK UNDYNE TO HELP ME! LADY TORIEL SHOULD SIMPLY REST AND LEAVE EVERYTHING UP TO I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!”

"Papyrus dear, Undyne is busy guarding Asgore. But I would be happy to help." Toriel said gently, leaving out the fact that she also didn't want her kitchen to get set on fire, which always seemed to happen when Undyne and Papyrus cooked together

“NYEH, OKAY LADY TORI.”

"So, what would you like to cook? It doesn't have to be spaghetti." Toriel said politely, even though she was pretty sure that Papyrus would want to make spaghetti anyway.

“UMM, WE COULD TRY LASAGNA?” Paps offered.

Toriel laughed quietly, but not unkindly at this. "Of course we can try lasagna."

“Mom can we have chocolate too? We beat the Bete Noire or whatever it’s called! And saved the city. And, yeah know. If it’s alright.” Chara suggested, really hoping Toriel would say yes.

"Okay, does Sans want anything as well?" Toriel asked, smiling at Charans.

"i would prefer a hot chocolate." Sans said to Chara. " but a chocolate bar is fine as well."

Chara seemed to be taken aback by that, surprised Sans even liked chocolate too. “Mom can I have hot chocolate?” 

"Of course Charans." Toriel said, suspecting the decision change was partially because of Sans, and her smile grew even wider, before she looked over at Asriel. "Asriel, do you want anything?" 

Asriel blinked, not really sure. “Ummm I’d like butterscotch pie? But, I wanna wait til when Dad wakes up cuz I know he liked that recipe too you used to make.”

Toriel smiled at Asriel, then replied. "That would be okay. Just let me know if there's anything else that you want." She then walked over to the door again and turned to face the group. "Come on Papyrus, we should probably go get started. We'll be back soon with food and drinks." 

“Okay! Thank you Mom!” Chara smiled. Watching as Paps got up to follow Toriel to the kitchen excitedly and looking determined to impress her. “Your brother sure is something Sans, haha.” Chara said to himself, before getting up. 

"i know, he's the best and the coolest." Sans replied happily.

“Yeah he is, he just can bounce right back from anything. But so is Asriel, when he’s not being a crybaby anyways.” Chara teased.

“Hey! Watch what you say minion for I am the great God of Hyperdeath!” Asriel laughed. 

“Okay, ‘god of hyperdeath’ wanna say hi to Mr. Gaster? Or...Other dad?” Chara wondered tilting his head. “We should probably tell him the good news anyways.”

"hey, that's dr. gaster to you." Sans said, semi-jokingly

“Oh, so Mr. Bone Dad Guy. Okay.” Chara teased Sans also, already getting up to find wherever Gaster was, Asriel in tow. They went through the open door where Toriel had come through, trying to find Asgore's room where Chara assumed Gaster would be possibly as well.

Soon they found around half the Royal Guard Members standing by, looking poised and alert, ready to fight and defend and need be. Chara couldn’t help but think about how cool they all were and how it was no wonder Papyrus was so obsessed with them. Through the door they could see Gaster brooding inside on a chair right by Asgore's bed.

“Hey Punks!” Undyne stopped them, summoning a spear just as Charans nearly walked into it. Undyne could sense the mix of magic from Charans SOUL, sensing the mix of determination but also what faintly felt like a monster mixed in it as well, narrowing her one good eye. Chara was startled yet at the same time, grateful she was cautious, exactly as the Captain of the Royal Guard should act. “State your business, before I beat it for ya!”

“Uuh, hey Undyne. Don’t worry it’s just us.” Chara said, trying to sound calm despite the shock from earlier. Though also noting the one strand of grey hair poking out of her usual ponytail, and the tiredness in her voice.

"do you know what happened to her?" Sans asked Chara as Gaster looked up from his brooding, recognizing Chara's voice. Gaster then stood up, walked to Undyne and carefully got her attention.

“Gaster?” Undyne said seeing him coming over to her. “Do you know this punk?” Undyne said, obviously meaning Charans. She knew the prince Dreemurr well enough, that he was the Kings kid.

“Only from what I heard. Apparently she took out the massive blob in the center of the city all by herself. Used up nearly all her own natural determination and magic to do it though. I also know she got pretty badly injured, right before that from some of the humans that were around the area when it happened. I was on my way to her, when I heard then I made my way to you guys at the time.” Chara explained to Sans.

"and what exactly did you plan to do to the blob the size of a skyscraper?" Sans asked, raising a metaphorical eyebrow.

“Um, offer assistance I guess if Undyne needed it? I’m not sure. But It looks like she didn’t even need help.”

"Yes, it's Chara but they absorbed Sans' SOUL." Gaster explained quietly, knowing that Undyne would probably ask why their SOUL’s felt so weird if he didn't explain, sounding tired and still sad.

Asriel sensed this, feeling a little pity for Gaster. “Hi Dr. Gaster. Are you okay?”

Gaster looked down at the ground and answered quietly after about a minute. "Not really. These past few days have been hard."

"THAT’S them?!” Undyne said, her eye widening turning from Gaster then to the fusion, now seeing the resemblances, and outfits too being a mix of both. “Damn. Holy crap, and here I was about to skewer you two. Heh, uuh...sorry about that.” Undyne smiled suddenly embarrassed. “Please don’t tell your Dad and the Queen…”

Chara smiled, “Wouldn’t dream of it. You were just doing your job anyways.” Chara said, suddenly self-conscious when he also noticed how Greater Dog, and most of the Dog Monsters were taking in his scent, sniffing about. They noticed he smelled of ketchup and bone, from Sans. While also having that similar human, maybe a faint of chocolate too. 

"heh, i wouldn't dream of it undyne." Sans replied, taking control and gently petting the dogs 

When Sans pet Lesser dog, his neck started growing longer as his tail wagged faster in excitement. Soon the other dog monsters started barking, getting jealous and wanting and demanding for pets.

“Uh oh, now you've done it.” Asriel laughed, petting Doggo too and trying to help calm all of them down.

“Ugh, Hey guys! Keep it down! The King needs his rest!” Undyne yelled over the barking, not realizing that if anything she was also being just as loud.

"sorry."" Sans mumbled, even though he knew that Undyne wouldn't be able to hear him over the racket. Gaster walked over to them and started trying to help quiet the dogs, a faint smile starting to appear on his face before he suddenly hugged Charans.

Chara felt the hug, seeing through their shared vision it was Gaster that hugged them, and he cooed in encouragement. Realizing how much Gaster must have really missed his son.

Asriel also noticed this, his soul warming at the sight, realizing it’s been a while since he’d also seen Gaster smile and felt happy for them both.

"I'm so sorry Sans." Gaster said quietly, almost sounding like he was trying not to cry. "I hurt you so much, I should have found another way to save you. I should have… I should have done more research on the effects of DETERMINATION, and you wouldn’t have had to suffer for so long. I’m so sorry.”

Sans quickly hugged Gaster back and nuzzled him comfortingly. "g, it's fine.. you did all you could have done to save me. and besides...give yourself at least, _ some  _ credit. if it weren't for your determination idea i wouldn't be here right now talking to you. so, it's fine. at least im not dead, right?." 

Just then Chara regained control of the fusion, as their right eye flashed red when the tone of voice changed to sound more like Charas, “Sorry Sans for interrupting you both- but he’s right, Dad. if you didn't give Sans that determination I’m not sure I would have been able to even fuse with him at all. So technically, he’s alive right now because of you!”

Chara then proceeded to fade back into the background, returning the control of their fused body back to Sans, and Charans right eye returned to a normal blue in coloration.

Gaster nodded in response and hugged Charans tighter, though he still seemed sad about what had happened.

Chara continued to smile at them, not entirely sure what to do or say, not wanting to interrupt their little moment. He hoped Gaster could learn to forgive himself too for what he did, but, due to this distraction, half forgetting why they were looking for him in the first place.

Asriel watched as well, suddenly also wanting to hug his father but he could see he was still unconscious. Pouting, he decided to sneak into the room to check on him, since they were already there anyways, once the dogs had been calmed and Undyne was no longer freaking out.

Asriel walked into the room, grabbing another chair and dragging it forward, sitting there quietly. 

"So, have you come up with a name yet?" Gaster asked after hugging Charans silently for a few minutes and wiping a few tears out of his eye sockets.

"yes, we've decided to collectively refer to ourselves as charans, though we're also still obviously separate people." Sans replied, still nuzzling his father.

Chara broke in only for but a second, just to speak. “Yeah, but we figured this would be a lot easier if you wanna talk to both of us at the same time. Or just call us by our own if it’s just one.” Chara then hid away again, allowing for Sans to have his family moment with Gaster and tried to give them some privacy, or as much as he could anyways. Given he could still feel and hear everything. 

Gaster then gently started nuzzling Charans back, still smiling faintly and despite everything, seeming happy that both of his sons were still alive, though he did also quickly glance over at Asriel, seeming torn between making sure that he was alright and wanting to spend time with Sans

Chara decided to occupy themselves watching Azzy and Asgore to give Sans and Gaster some “space.” A long time passed, until Pappy started calling everyone downstairs as the food was finally ready. 

Gaster slowly released Charans when he heard Papyrus call, then looked over at Asriel and Asgore again. 

"come on dad, let's go have some lunch." Sans said, smiling at Gaster, before gently handing control over to Chara. "i think you'll have a better chance of convincing asriel to come eat than i will." He explained mentally, while Gaster decided to wait and see if the prince was coming.

“Alright.. Well, wish me luck.” Chara agreed with Sans, slowly, he turned to Asgore’s room, seeing Asriel hadn’t moved since he’d gone to their fathers room. Chara went to walk in the room. “Uh, hey Azzy. Didn’t you hear Paps? Foods ready.”

“....I’m not hungry.” Asriel said, his eyes still fixed onto Asgore. Though Charans could tell he was worried.

<"maybe we could bring something back for him to eat?" Sans suggested, understanding why Asriel wouldn't want to leave his father's side 

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Sure.” Chara said, agreeing with Sans' plan before turning towards his brother. “Okay Azzy well, we’re gonna bring you food then okay? So you can eat whenever you do feel hungry. Okay little guy?” Chara said, ruffling up his fur affectionately.

Asriel pouted a little, when Chara messed up his mane, chuckling a little, though there was still a slight tone of sadness to it. “Okay Cha… Thanks.”

“Mhm, anytime little bro. I- We’ll be back.” Chara then took a glance at Asgore, frowning a little. _Please be alright, Mr. Dad Guy. Asriel and I really miss you.. We need you Dad._ Chara thought sadly, though he trusted the monsters there to be able to heal him, but he still couldn’t help but worry too.

"Is Asriel coming?" Gaster asked gently. "Or does he want to stay with Asgore?"

"he wants to stay with asgore. we'll bring him some food later." Sans explained and Gaster nodded in response, then gave Asriel a kind smile. "i'm sure that your father will be fine." He said reassuringly.

Asriel pouted, looking at his lap, and tightening his fists. “...Yeah…” Azzy said, though he still didn’t sound sure, as he thought about how close to dusting Asgore was back at the Arena the other day, is HP barely hovering over 2. And his anger at Toriel seemed to rise again, when he thought how badly injured Asgore was. _Stupid Mom. How could you…?! It’s_ **_our_ ** _fault he- Mom…_

Chara sensed the negative feelings rising from Asriel, and was about to go talk to him. “H-Hey, Azzy.. Come on, I’m sure..Mom didn’t mean it. Dad’s gonna be fine. Okay?”

Gaster tensed, also still seeming angry over what Toriel had done, but he didn't say anything about it. "Come on, we should probably get going before Papyrus comes to get us." He said instead, keeping his face neutral.

Sans laughed internally at this, remembering how many times Papyrus had physically dragged him to the table when he had wanted to go to Grillby's instead, and took partial control of their body, ready to go for lunch when Chara felt okay with leaving Asriel.

Papyrus, was halfway to the stairs to grab Charans and everyone and saw them heading towards them. “OH!! I WAS JUST ABOUT TO COME GET YOU! UM, WHERE’S ASRIEL?” Paps asked.

“He’s still with Dad.. we’ll bring food for him later.”

“OH, AND HOW IS THE KING ER, OTHER DAD?” Papyrus asked this time addressing Gaster since he was with Asgore the longest.

"He is doing very well and will make a full recovery unless something else happens." Gaster replied, still keeping his face neutral.

“‘Something else?’” Chara asks. “Like what?”

"Like him losing a lot of hope or being attacked again."

“Oh…” Chara said sadly. Now knowing why Asriel was so upset. “I see..”

“I THINK ASGORE WILL DO JUST FINE. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE HIS FAMILY ALL CARES ABOUT HIM SO DEARLY! NYEHEHEH!!”

"Of course Papyrus." Gaster replied, a slight smile creeping onto his face again. "Expect for one person." He then adds under his breath, his smile fading again. 

Chara, Sans and Paps caught that but they all chose to not say anything. Though Paps had very conflicted feelings, believing whole heartedly that everyone deserves a second chance, and that anyone could still be good if they just wanted to be.

Chara on the other hand, was even more conflicted. He could understand Toriel's anger, though he did think he was and should take half the blame at least. _Maybe I should tell Mom and Dad about that day…_ Chara thought, realizing they never knew of the plan. And he doubted Asriel ever told them, like he’d asked him to. But he realized, if he wanted to have a happy family again, and for everyone to forgive each other he should tell them. Even if they hate him for it afterwards.

Chara swallowed, nervously. “Sans, what do you think…?” Chara thought, asking inwardly, wanting a second opinion.

Sans sensed that Chara seemed upset and gave them another mental hug. "i don't know, kid. i don't really feel like this is my decision to make. it sounds like this was rather traumatizing and difficult for you." He said gently. "but if you feel like it would make things better…" He trailed off, not really liking that he was being asked to make such a hard decision.

“Well...Kinda. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. It really is my choice..” Chara said, frowning.

"it's fine." Sans replied quickly. "i can understand why you'd want a second opinion before making such a difficult choice." 

“Yeah.. Since. I didn’t really ask Asriel for his before...I…” Chara stopped himself when he remembered how painful it had been after eating the buttercups and forcing himself to slowly die. How heartbroken Asriel had been, forced to keep quiet and the only one knowing why Chara had chosen to kill themselves, but being unable to say anything. How Chara had been so convinced this was the answer to save his family and the mess `everything became afterwards. Chara couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Sorry…”

Sans gave Chara another mental hug, almost seeming to mentally nuzzle them as well. "it's fine, it seems like you had a lot of pressure put on you even though you were just a kid, and so you decided to try and save us because it's what you were told you would do. heh, like i said earlier, we've all been through a lot." 

“I guess so..I guess, that might have been half the reason. But, too, I genuinely did want to help all of Monsterkind. I mean...I never really felt I belonged anywhere, until I fell down here. Then the Dreemurrs were so kind to me. I just felt like I owed them. Ya know?” 

"yeah, i get what you mean." Sans said simply, remembering how much he felt like he owed Papyrus for looking after him when he was having a bad day.

“Thanks Sans.” Chara smiled inwardly, giving him a mental hug.

Sans accepted the mental hug, while Gaster politely waited for them to finish their internal conversation.

Chara smiled, “Uuuh Sorry. We’re good now.”

Paps happily lead them then to the kitchen.

Chara stared at the food, rather hungrily. And then a thought occurred as he suddenly realized their mouth doesn't open. "Uuh Sans? How do we eat?" Chara asked.

"absorb it with magic." Sans replied, watching as Gaster grabbed his food and then quickly excused himself while kind of glaring at Toriel who tried to ignore the look that he was giving her.

“Uhhh how???” Chara asked, still confused and also grabbed a plate, noticing the glare as well and suddenly feeling very, very awkward.

"umm, i don't really know how to explain. it's just something that i do as naturally as walking or talking."

“Oh, okay..” Chara said, still unsure how it works, but just deciding to roll with it and decides to try Pappy's lasagna first, bringing a forkful of the pasta to his mouth nd saw how the magic had activated almost automatically, as he saw little green particles move from the pasta into his mouth and down to either his stomach or Soul restoring more of their magic and refilling Sans’ SOUL a bit more.

Sans chuckled quietly but not unkindly at Chara's confusion, seeming content to let them be in control while they ate, though he did seem a little disappointed that Gaster had decided to go back too Asgore's room, having obviously been hoping that him, Gaster and Papyrus, (if not the entirety of his new family as well) would have been able to have lunch together. Though he still seemed happy that the food was refilling more of his magic, as he hated having so much of his magic missing. It felt wrong, almost like there was a cold, empty space in his SOUL, and that feeling only served to remind him of the horrors that he had experienced. He shivered, and tried to refocus on what was happening around him and to remind himself that it was over, the creature was dead and it wasn't coming back. And that even if another one appeared, this time they'd know how to deal with it.

“And we supposedly have the power of a God...whatever the heck that means.” Chara spoke suddenly, speaking to Sans. And referring to what the Ancient glyphs mentioned back in Waterfall in the Underground. “Also..crud, I think we forgot to tell Gaster the good news. heh.”

"shoot, we didn't. i'll tell him next time we see him, okay?" Sans replied. "and we should probably make sure that we use this power responsibly."

“Sure. I guess we kinda got distracted by Undyne and the dog monsters haha.. I thought we were forgetting something as we were leaving! Oh well.. And yeah, you’re right. Although I am still curious what that even means though.”

"me too, but we probably should be very careful if we decide to do any testing." Sans said, sounding rather curious about their abilities

“Hmmm maybe we can ask Undyne or Skeledad to help us out? They’re pretty strong, though then again.. “ Chara thought wondering if they’d still need to rest from the Betty fight first. “Well, I don’t know. I do agree we should be careful. I don't wanna add to the damage to the City than it already has.” Chara laughed lightly. “Or accidentally hurt someone.”

"agreed. especially if the old stories are to be believed. and we probably should get someone to check that my soul is healing properly, you know, just in case." Sans said with a shiver. 

“Do you want Mom to? She’s good at healing, plus she’s a Boss Monster. Although I assume you don’t want me to just summon out our soul though, right? Cuz the little hairline cracks on your share of it from the resets? I...noticed them when I grabbed your soul before it shattered but just for a split second.” Chara said, lowering their tone in case Sans was still sensitive about the whole world knowing he knew of the resets or at least studied them and stuff and his trauma regarding them too.

Though a part of Chara kinda did want to summon their soul now come to think of it. Which way would the heart point to? Chara thought, wondering now. What if it's not even heart shaped and some random shape now? Chara hadn’t had a chance to check it out, nor the state of Sans soul ever since yesterday, and he was curious and concerned as well if it would have any lasting damage to it because of what Betty had done and also swallowed, noticing Sans' fear. 

“Hey, I’m sure it...should be fine.” Chara said to Sans, trying to comfort him. “I mean, at least you can’t die again. Since you have my DT now too.” Chara laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"yeah, that's true. and we would have noticed if my soul was too badly damaged." Sans replied, trying to relax again and somewhat succeeding

“Yeah, exactly. Like, either you would have probably noticed or I would have if something was wrong with it. So, maybe it is healing or doing the best it can. Like you, and everyone. But, I’ll ask Mom anyways, just in case to do a simple CHECK on us okay? Or Skeledad.”

"that sounds good to me. though, i don't know if any of us are going to be able to heal completely. but, that doesn't mean that we won't eventually be able to live reasonably normal lives again, even if it takes a while to get there. so, i guess we just gotta stay determined, huh?"

“Hehe...YES! And you got me, the most **determined** one out there, and the only one of their kind with you all. I believe we’ll all be able to finally have a happier future one day.”

"...i believe you kid. eventually we'll get our happy ending, right?" Sans said, still sounding like he's still getting used to the whole idea of choices actually mattering, even though it's been a month since the reset button was destroyed, but also like he did have some genuine hope for the future.

“Mhm. It’s gonna be hard. We all have trauma from the Betty stuff, but I believe it. We have to, in memory of all those who’ve fallen trying to help us get here… In their memories.” Chara said, speaking for all the dead monsters during the War days, the (now dusted) amalgamates, Alphys, Jessica and so on. “Today is just the beginning.”

"yeah, but we'll reach the end eventually, heh, that still sounds weird to me."

“Heh, yeah.” Chara said, finishing eating.”How’d your magic now? And thanks for the food mom and Pappy” Chara smiles.

Toriel smiled back at Charans. "You're very welcome and I'm glad that you enjoyed it." She replied

"it's a bit better, hopefully it'll have fully come back soon."

“Hopefully.” Chara agreed. “You do still sound kinda tired. More tired than usual anyways. heh.”

"yeah, i'll probably have to get some rest soon. but we should probably go give asriel his food and gaster the good news first"

“Yeah, I’ll let you take a nap after. Sounds good to me.” Chara says before standing up. “Mom, I’m going to bring Azzy some food okay? And then go take a nap so Sans can rest up still from yesterday.”

“Alright my child. I love you.”

Chara blushed a little, his cheeks turning slightly blueish before replying, “Love you too…” He put his dirty dishes in the sink, before grabbing a new plate and pretty much putting a little of everything on it before heading back to Asgore’s room.

When Charans got to Asgore's room, they found Gaster sitting next to Asriel with his empty plate on the floor beside him. Gaster looked over at Charans when he heard them enter and gave them a small wave 

Asriel notices Gaster waving and turns to see who he was waving to, just as Charans had entered the room.

Chara hands Azzy his own plate of food he’d gotten earlier, “Here bro. Eat up okay?”

Asriel accepted the food, smiling a little, “Thanks Chara. Sorry about that…”

“Don’t be. We all perfectly understand.” Chara told him, lightly ruffling Asriel's tuft of fur on his head again.

"yeah, i know that i'd be really worried if one of my family members almost died. uhhh, that's not too say that i don't consider you guys family or anything, you know?" Sans said, starting to speak rather quickly at the end while awkwardly scratching the back of their bodies' head.

“Huh?” Gaster asked, confused at first.

“Umm, what Sans I think meant to say, and why we came up here originally… before we kinda forgot and got distracted. Haha, Um Gaster. Welcome to the Dreemurr family, Mom said you and Paps are one of us now. Since..Sans is part of me and we didn’t wanna just separate you and Paps from him, just cuz our Souls are fused. So, yeah. You’re a Dreemurr now, and we’re part of your family too now, “Skeledad.”” Chara smiled, gently taking control from Sans when he sensed how awkward Sans was feeling and wanted to make it a bit easier on him.

Chara could sense that Sans was very grateful for this, especially considering that he was still quite tired. Gaster smiled back at Chara, seeming very happy that he wouldn't be separated from Sans. "Thank you." He said, only a little of that happiness showing in his voice.

Chara gave Sans a mental hug then smiled back at Gaster, “You’re welcome. I’m glad you won’t have to be separated, though...I will admit, it’s gonna be a bit odd having two dads now. Haha. But so cool at the same time!”

“IF Dad doesn’t just turn to Dust or Falls Down...yeah...it would be.” Asriel said, still sounding upset and worried about Asgore.

"Asriel." Gaster said gently, laying a hand on the prince's shoulder. "Asgore will be fine. He's healing well and there is almost no risk of him falling down." 

“But why hasn’t he woken up yet then?” Asriel asked, still worried for his father, “I just miss him..and I can’t stop thinking what if something is wrong and no one can see it. Or, what if Mom hurt him worse than we all thought she did.” Asriel sighed. “I just hope you’re right…”

Sans carefully took control of Charans again and slowly hugged Asriel. "i'm sure he'll be fine. especially since he's only been injured physically, in ways that we already know how to heal." Sans said comfortingly, though he still shivered slightly 

“...So was Undyne and she recovered in no time.” Asriel said, somewhat bitterly.

“Well...She also has determination. Plus she’s Undyne. The Undergrounds Hero. She has a reputation to live up to, plus she’s strong and wouldn't let a few wounds keep her down. She’s cool like that.” Chara said, taking back control, wishing there was a way to cheer up the little guy.

“And Dads a Boss Monster and the King. And I’m not in the mood for your jokes Chara.” Asriel said firmly, pouting. “But...thanks… Maybe I am just worrying for nothing.. But I can’t help it.” 

"i know what you mean. it isn't always easy to stop worrying about things." Sans said comfortingly, gently rubbing Asriel's back

“Mhm.. I’m trying not to..but…”Asriel sighed again.”I should have played catch with him when I had my chance. And spent more time with him...”

Sans nodded silently and continued to gently pet Asriel. "yeah, i know it's hard."

Asriel snuggles up with Charans, “Thanks for understanding. And for trying to cheer me up, both of you.”

"it's fine, asriel." Sans murmured quietly, while also giving Chara a mental poke in case he wanted to spend some time with Azzy

“Everything will be okay Azzy.” Chara told Azzy. “We won’t let anything happen to Dad okay?”

“Okay..” Azzy said, nodding. “I know you won’t. I mean, you even saved Sans. You can do anything Chara.”

Meanwhile, Gaster was quietly healing Asgore some more while the others talked, though he did keep glancing over at them.

“Ehe..I don’t know about that. I just did what felt right.. Though this was all I could do, given the circumstances.”

"and i'm still glad that you were at least able to absorb my soul, as i would have died if you hadn't gotten there in time. and i'm sure that dad and my bro are very happy as well. um, once again, i'm not saying that i don't also see you two as my brothers or anything, i'm just, uh, not used to it." Sans said awkwardly, trying to rub the back of their bodies head again.

“Ahaha, no it’s fine. I understand. I suppose it is gonna take a bit to get used to.” Chara smiled, not at all offended or anything, “and yeah, I am too. I’m sure if I got there even a second later you’d have been gone. I’m just glad you trusted me, after everything you’d been through. Sure, I could have also just forced your soul to fuse with mine but I worried it might have caused it to shatter which was why I asked for your trust first.”

"and even if my soul didn't shatter, i imagine that it would be very…unpleasant." Sans said with a shiver, his thoughts again drifting to more traumatizing recent events. 

Chara seemed to sense this, “Yeah but..you know I wouldn’t have hurt you though, right? Even if I had to force your soul to save you. I wouldn’t force you to trust me if it had come down to it. Which thankfully it didn’t.” Chara gives Sans a mental hug again as a comfort.

Sans gratefully accepts the mental hug. "i know that you wouldn't have hurt me, but that didn't exactly stop me from freaking out yesterday, heh sorry about that by the way, so things probably would have been unpleasant at first.”

“It’s fine, you don't have to be sorry for anything. You were- are traumatized. But we’ll make it through. Together. Cuz you're my friend, AND now my big brother. And, I wanna help you through this. So we can all look forward to a happier future.”

"thanks." Sans said happily. "you guys are great friends and great brothers. And yeah, we can get through this." Sans continues, though he does sound like he's also trying to reassure himself with that last statement.

Also Gaster has passed out by Asgore's bed because he's still very tired, due to not having slept for three days and he used up lot's of magic while fighting Betty and he caused his SOUL too crack in that same fight, which means that he really did need to go the frick to sleep so that he can rest and heal.

“Uh, guys?” Asriel spoke when he’d noticed Gaster had passed out. “Is-Is he okay?” Asriel asked them, slightly panicked.

Sans quickly took control and looked over at Gaster. "i think he'll be fine." He said after a few seconds. "i think he's mostly just exhausted."

“Oh, thank the stars..” Asriel sighed with relief, really worried something just happened.

“No wonder he passed out- he hasn’t slept in days. Poor guy..” Chara said, also relieved.

"yeah, not to mention how stressful everything that was going on must have been." Sans said as he took control again and gave Gaster a gentle hug, nuzzling him as well.

“Yeah...with him almost losing you twice, the stuff with Betty, Dad getting injured, Alphys gone, Paps thrown in jail- We should probably take him to bed so he can finally get some rest, now that things have quieted down. I can help you carry him if you like.” Asriel offered.

"that sounds like a good idea." Sans replied, once again shivering a little as he moved to gently help Asriel carry Gaster to a bed.

Asriel took Gaster to one of the other rooms, helping Charans gently place Gaster on one of the empty beds and covered him with the sheets, being extra careful not to wake him up. 

Once they had finished, Sans walked back outside of the room, then stopped. Chara could tell that he wanted to either rest or go spend more time with Papyrus, but he also didn't want to drag them away from Asriel; especially when Asriel was so worried about Asgore.

Asriel followed behind Charans, gently closing the door behind him so any noises would not disturb nor wake up Gaster so he could finally get some rest, and looked at them confused as to why they suddenly stopped moving. “???”

“Uh, maybe, we can ask Paps to come hang out with us all in Asgore's room? So that way, you can still spend time with Pappy, and I can be with Az and Dad all at the same time.” Chara offered. “And you can get rest too, maybe while we’re visiting King Dad. That is, if it’s okay with you Azzy?”

“Huh?” Asriel cocked his head to the side, slightly confused to what they were talking about, but after a moment he realized what Sans wanted and worried for. “Oh, yeah I don’t mind. I’m sure Dad would like the company anyways, and...I didn’t really wanna be alone in there again, or all the bad thoughts would come back again…”

"okay, and i'm sure that paps would love to spend more time with me." Sans said, taking back control, before hugging Asriel again.

Azzy giggled hugging Charans back lovingly, “Of course he would! He’s the Great Papyrus after all! Let’s go get him. Oh and let me get the dirty dishes or Mom might have a stroke haha.” Asriel ran back to Asgore's room, as quietly as he could picking up his own and Gasters dishes before bringing them back to where Charans was waiting. “I hope they’re still in the kitchen.”

Asriel and Charans then made their way back to the Kitchen, and saw that they were just cleaning up, Tori leaving some food aside for in case Asgore woke up, and for Undyne and the other Royal Guard Members, and washing the dishes while Papyrus finished drying them before putting them away. They were on to the last 3 dishes or so when they noticed Azzy and Charans there.

“HELLO MY BROTHERS!” Papyrus called out as happily as he can be.

"heya bro." Sans called back, sounding just as happy despite how tired he was as he waved at his brother.

Paps happily waved back, gently putting the plate and silverware he’d been drying with a towel down on the counter and went over to gather Charans into a hug, picking him up when he’d sensed how tired he was by the tone of his voice. Then he went to pick up Asriel as well, hugging them both who giggled, starting to cheer up a little. “WAS GASTER HAPPY AT THE NEWS?” Papyrus asked, still carrying them both, one in each boney arm as they latched on, in fear of falling.

Sans squeaked in surprise when Papyrus suddenly grabbed him and picked him up, quickly latching onto his arm, before replying after a few seconds. "of course he was, bro." He said smiling at his brother and leaning into him a bit 

“Yeah, he’s resting in one of the guest bedrooms. Poor guy hasn’t slept in days since this whole mess started.” Chara said, gently taking control back before giving it back to Sans to spend time with Pappy.

“OH, WELL I’M GLAD HE’S GETTING THE REST HE RIGHTFULLY DESERVES!!” Pappy beamed.

"yeah, it is good that he's finally getting some rest." Sans said tiredly, leaning into his brother even more as Charans' eye sockets started to drift closed, even though Sans was trying to stay awake.

“Can we all go to Dad's room? Er, King Dad?” Asriel asked, also starting to get tired but at the same time he wanted to be there in case Asgore woke up and be with him and his new family at the same time.

“WE CAN GO TOGETHER. I THINK I AM MOSTLY DONE HELPING LADY TORI WITH THE DISHES! AND IF IT’S OKAY BY HER OF COURSE!”

“Yes, you can go, my children. I can handle the last two on my own, thank you for all your help Papyrus.” Toriel said gratefully.

“NYEHEHEH!! YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!” Papyrus happily replied, carrying Asriel and Charans to Asgore's room, just happy to spend any amount of time with his new siblings. He walked to the door leading to Asgore's room and, while carefully balancing Asriel on his hips and arm, he grabbed the door handle using blue gravity magic to turn it, and slowly opened the door and walked in.

Sans seemed quite happy to just snuggle in his brother's arms and relax as well as he could for however long he could, though he was also willing to let Chara take control if they wanted too.

Paps moved a chair into a corner of the room that would be directly facing Asgore's bed, and so Asgore could see them, in case he woke up, and moved to sit down in it. This way, Paps thought, in case he too fell asleep while holding Charans and Asriel, they wouldn’t be able to fall, with the sides of the walls pretty much surrounding them and they’d still be able to rest semi comfortably.

“Thanks Paps.” Asriel said, smiling.

“Get some sleep Sans...you need it too I think.” Chara chuckled. Somehow, they were also feeling a bit tired, though mostly cuz they’d been running on sheer determination, running around since yesterday to make sure who needed the most care as the ambassador and to tell everyone who’d been helping them deal with Betty that everything was safe. And they too, barely had much rest, having to deal with and realize that they now shared a body with Sans and to come to terms with what they’d done and that the threat was finally over.

"yeah, you're probably right." Sans mumbled back, settling into Papyrus' arms even more. "but i think i'll sleep later." He continued, completely content to just spend time with part of his newly extended family. 


	3. Nightmares (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things finally settle down for the night, but not all is calm as Sans relives familiar nightmares as well as more recent PTSD and trauma from being semi-conscious inside his SOUL when Betty/Kumu had stolen it and was draining his Magic without consent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter is KIND of slightly disturbing to some people.  
> Violence and gore in this chapter. It's not THAT bad however, but this is just a warning anyways for some people who might be kind of squeamish to this kind of thing.
> 
> //Author had way too much fun writing the villain here. I am now banned from writing villains like this ever again lol.//
> 
> Also we had to cut Chapter 3 into 2 parts cuz it got ridiculously long. Also Part 2 might be on semi-hiatus for now until my co-writer is back to help me write this. Series is still on-going however!

Later that evening, Toriel had gone up to check on everyone, seeing Charans, Asriel and Papyrus had all fallen asleep, still inside of Asgore's room. They all looked so cute she couldn’t really bring herself to wake them up to move to a room with at least a bed, imagining that couldn’t have been all that comfortable. But instead, she took out her phone, snagging a photo of all of them. 

For herself, and possibly to use to perhaps apologize to Gaster later, for their bickering earlier on in the day. She went to grab a blanket and wrapped it around the 3 of them then went to check on Asgore, CHECKing his SOUL and stats and seeing that he was healing quite steadily. She whispered a “I’m sorry,” to him before heading off to bed as well, though she knew he most likely did not hear her.

About an hour or two after Toriel had left, Chara was suddenly awoken by a disturbance that was coming from Sans' SOUL, though they were still quite drowsy. “Mmm...Sans…? What’s wrong bud?” Chara mumbled, half asleep, and realized Sans must be dreaming.

* * *

_Sans looked around the dark Judgment Hall, every one of his senses on full alert as he stared into shadows that seemed ready to swallow him whole. He knew that something evil was coming. Something that had slaughtered it's way from one end of the Underground to the other, and was now preparing to hunt down the final 3 survivors. But Sans had a feeling that it would come after him and Asgore first. He couldn't remember why he hadn't stopped this earlier, but there must have been a reason, right? It couldn't be that he just ran away like a coward and abandoned the monsters, leaving them at this demon's mercy._

_At the other end of the hall, Sans could hear the sound of footsteps approaching and suddenly a waft of grey dust blew into the Judgement Hall on the wind, forcing Sans to lift his arm up to shield his sockets. There, standing directly across from him was a human with brown/pink hair and an unnaturally cruel smile laced on their lips. Their soul was a pink SOUL that was sitting right inside of a red determination SOUL. They wore a green sweatshirt with a yellow stripe right across the middle and a pink ripped up skirt, brown leggings and even darker brown boots. “Hello Saansyyy~ <3” The being sneered, sending a chill up Sans' spine. _

_‘what the hell is this thing?’ Sans thought as the beings' pink and red eyes seemed to stare into his SOUL, a strange black liquid starting to drip from them. "is it even human? and was it ever human?"_

_“Aw, Uncle Sans you don’t recognize me? Names Bara.” The_ **_thing_ ** _giggled, almost girlish in a way. A pink blob moved to sit on the humans shoulder. “Oh well, you always were a lazybones anyways._ **_I’ll make sure you remember me soon enough. =)_ ** _”_

_ "heh, i don't know you, but what i do know… _ **_I S T H A T I 'L L S E N D Y O U B A C K T O H E L L ."_** _Sans growled, trying to hide his fear by sounding confident, before he turned the creatures SOUL blue and flung it against the wall, then tried to throw it into some bones and followed that up with a barrage of gaster blasters._

_When the smoke and dust cleared Bara stood there, still with the creepy unnatural grin on their face and was practically unscathed besides a few dirt marks on their clothing, despite the fact that they had done absolutely nothing to defend themselves. “You call_ **_that_** _an attack? I’m almost disappointed. What was it that the fish said? ‘You’re gonna have to try a little_ ** _H A R D E R than that!’_** _” Bara taunted, taking a step towards Sans and making him step back by instinct._

_“Aww you’re cute when you try to play the hero. Come on, whatever happened to the_ _J U D G E “I” used to have so much fun playing together with in all those Genocide runs? The same Judge who let all his friends and brother die before he decided to do anything about it?”_

_The thing grinned, gaze lingering and gleefully soaking in his rigid stance, as he somehow went pale._

_“_ ** _T H A T ‘ S T H E L O O K O F_** ** _S O M E O N E W H O ‘ S_ ** **_R E A L L Y S C A R E D O U T O F T H E I R S K U L L R I G H T_** ** _A B O U T N O W.”_**

_"n-no, that's not true, t-there was nothing that i could d-do."_ _Sans replied, stumbling backwards again, before he suddenly shot another blaster at the creature before him._ _"i did everything that i could. i did everything that i could. i'm not tough like undyne, i did everything that i could."_

****

_Bara just stood there, and took the blast again, still grinning as once again, they were unharmed when the smoke cleared. They laughed again and it rang through the Hall loudly, echoing off it’s vast chambers and off the walls as it reverberated off of the tall paned glass. There was a slight undertone of insanity to the laugh, partly to do with the high amount of LV the child seemed to have, but also sounding like one who had been given far too much candy at once and didn’t have enough sleep._

_It sounded like the laugh of a Madman who’d gone on a murderous rampage across an entire Underground and destroyed literally an entire species of Monsters just for the kicks and giggles._

_For fun._

_“‘Not tough like Undyne?’” Bara cooed, still walking calmly closer and closer towards Sans who continued to back away, sweat glistening from his skull off the light that gently shone in from the windows, “So says the one whose killed us a thousand times over. Who threw us into walls full of spiky bones that impaled our body so many times. Who ‘dunked’ us so many times that they lost count. Who, even with just that one measly little HP, we could never touch him. Not until we literally did this song and dance so many times they got tired out and we just got ‘lucky’ that it was finally enough.” Bara giggled again, this time they could just faintly hear the sound of bones rattling against each other underneath Sans’s clothing and jacket._

_“You’re a funny little thing, ‘Uncle Sans,’ you know that?_ **_That’s why you were always my most favorite little plaything. And the one I loved fighting the most. That’s why I do this for you, Sansy. I’d love for your SOUL to be a part of my collection again.”_ **

_Play thing. Like Sans was some kind of sad, broken toy..._

**_"_** _n-no, stay back, keep away from me!_ _i-i could only do so w-well because of h-how my magic works, how it turns what is usually a strength for you into a weakness._ _" Sans cried, tears of fear starting to leak from his eye sockets. He felt his back hit the wall and he pressed up against it, shivering violently as the tears fell and sweat glistened on his skull, giving away his fear._

_However, even so, he still wasn't quite ready to give up yet and he raised a single shaking hand, turning Bara’s SOUL blue again. Slamming them against the opposite wall before summoning multiple Gaster Blasters, aimed at the child, ready to start blasting at them the minute they’d hit the wall._

_Bara had had enough of this, summoning Kumu as they commanded the blob to turn into a wound up spring, throwing it at the wall she’d just been thrown against themselves, and rebounding off of it towards Sans. While in the air, Bara transformed their arms into little scythes, slicing at the Blasters before they even had a CHANCE at firing their lasers._

_The red eyes seemed to glow brightly as Sans could feel the murderous intent and determination wafting out from their SOUL and magic as they were launched like a rocket towards Sans, Bara took a swipe at him, and it was only thanks to Sans' quick instincts that he even managed to duck in time, as they slashed at one of the pillars before landing on the ground._

_“There we go, now_ **_THAT’S_ ** _how it’s done!” Bara cheered, their arms returning back to normal human hands as they clapped and whooped, cheering for Sans in a way that made him sick, and even more fearful. How this weird demon/human fusion could act so innocent yet, every single part of Sans body screamed at him to stay as far away from them as possible._

_“Careful now._ **_D o n ‘t s l i p. O r t h i s g a m e o f o u r s w i l l_** ** _b e q u i t e b o r i n g. “_**

**_“Y o u d o n ‘ t w a n t m e t o b e b o r e d, d o y o u U n c l e S a n s ?”_ ** _Bara asked, their voice warping and shifting, sounding almost glitched in a way that made them sound demented._

_Sans didn’t bother to reply, instead turning and sprinting down the hall, desperate to escape from this thing. ‘_ _asgore will be fine._ _’ Sans thought, desperately_ _trying to reassure himself._ _‘_ _i'm not abandoning him. he'll have heard alphys' warning and absorbed the human souls, which means that he has a better chance of killing this creature than i do._ _’_

_However, when Sans had reached the other end of the hall, he was shocked to discover that the door was no longer there. His eye lights shrunk to tiny pin pricks within his sockets. "_ _w-what?_ _" Sans thought as he skidded to a stop and stared at the spot where he'd seen the creature enter and where the door had been. "_ _t-there was definitely a door here. where's it gone?_ _"_

_Panicked and desperate, Sans threw several bones at the wall in front of him, even blasted it several times, as if trying to create his own exit out of there, but nothing worked._

_He was now trapped._

_Trapped with a demon that he had no hope of killing and took no damage no matter what in Sans wide arsenal of attacks he threw at it._

_Bara laughed again, this time the laugh instead of sounding insane, became something entirely different. More gravelly. Rougher and calloused._

_D E M O N I C._

**_“_ _W e l l t h e n. I s n ‘ t t h i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g t u r n o f e v e n t s j u d g e ?”_** _Bara said, their voice echoing in the Hall once more._

_Sans slowly turned to look at the fusion, his SOUL pulsing rapidly and frantically as he trembled. The sound of his bones rattling echoing throughout the hall along with the now demonic voice in equal volume._

_The thing laughed again. Long and cruelly, the mere sound sending even more chills down Sans’s spine._

_The human...no, it even LOOKED like a demon by this point. A demon that wore human skin, stretched beyond its limits, as pieces of skin tore away, leaving raw flesh where its mouth was. Its eyes were almost bloodshot around the pinkish, red pupils that continued to ooze out black blood as it turned to face him, cocking its head to the side. Those hideous eyes that had once held a certain child-like innocence, now also had the same cruel intent as in its own voice, fixated on him with cruel, violent amusement and their smile twisting into a smug, jagged grin._

**_“Whatsamatter? Not gonna say anything? No pun about the situation you’ve found yourself trapped in? Nothing how you’re ‘not going to just stand there and take it?’ Or how about ‘If i took one more step forward i’m going to have a bad time?’”_** _The thing smirked, grinning a little wider, taking a slow, deliberate step forward._

_**“Or, how about… Something about how ‘on beautiful days like these, where birds are singing, flowers are blooming…”** _ _Bara continued to grin, fangs showing now between the tattered skin where lips once were as they took a very deliberate step forward, arms outstretched to their side and winking one eye._ _“ **‘kids like me should be burning in hell?’ You got anything like that for me sansy?”**_

_Sans took another step backwards as the thing approached, shooting a few small bones at them to keep them away. Part of him wanted to try and ask for mercy, not even caring if he was trying to barter with the Devil itself. Half-hoping that there was some remnant of a good person inside there that would listen, but he knew that it was a longshot and there was another also part of him that didn't want to give this creature the satisfaction of seeing him beg._

_Bara merely walked through the bones, it still not even doing damage to them at all, as they grinned even wider again. Almost giggling a bit as they watched Sans vainly try to fight back. To do everything in his power to keep this demon AWAY from him. Bara merely shook their head as they looked on. The emotion behind their eyes shifting to that with an odd fondness for Sans._

_**“Hehehe, oh comedian, you’re still just so funny. You know, that? It's almost making me want to let you go.”** _ _Bara sneered, watching as for but a moment they noticed the look of confusion and what almost seemed like hope that seemed to cross Sans’s face. Like he’d be able to get off scot free with just a few cruel mind games and maybe some PTSD from all this._

_No bodily damage done to him._

_No broken bones._

_Nothing._

_**“A l m o s t .”** _ _Bara corrected, watching Sans' hopeful expression immediately transform to one of pure, senseless, utter terror and despair, as the world stuttered for a moment._

_Once more, Hope was brought to Sans SOUL as he prayed this was a RESET and that maybe the demon human fusion thing was just trying to mess with his mind more. Praying the timeline would be reset and that maybe they’d go for something more peaceful._

_However, Sans quickly realized this didn’t have that same sensation of a timeline being erased._

_This was just a simple reload then._

_The disorientation was dizzying, nearly knocking Sans down to his knees, but then it cleared, and Sans saw he was literally 2 inches away from the terrifying demon, human abomination. Bara watched as Sans jolted, screamed out in alarm and tried for a shortcut but the demon reloaded again. The world stuttering once more, and resummoning Sans right in front of them directly again. Only for another repeat, as Bara grinned._

_Laughing._

_Taunting him._

_Mocking him._

_When Sans realized that there was no escape, he decided to try one last time to destroy this creature, and so he summoned his_ **_true_ ** _special attack. A wall of gaster blasters appeared behind Bara and Sans fired them all, not even caring if he himself also got hit by the attack._

_The beams engulfed the demon and Sans continued blasting it for as long as he could, even as he could no longer see the creature through the smoke, and broken tiles flying everywhere. Not stopping his attack at all until he collapsed to the floor, landing on all fours as he was forced to end the attack to avoid fainting completely._

_He felt exhausted, nearly gasping for breath, due to low Magic as the blasters faded away. More sweat dripped from his skull and bones, making a small puddle on the floor._

_The dust and smoke this time stayed there for several seconds, actually closer to almost a minute in length, as Sans forced himself to suck in a breath, hoping it was enough to wound the creature or even kill it._

_But, just as every other thing Sans used to have hope for, the world still just LOVED kicking him in the gut every time he even so DARED to wish to have a happy ending._

_There, Bara stood once more._

_Looking quite annoyed, shaking off their arms and flexing their muscles and hands. Even dusting itself off, as though to fan away the pain._ _**“Easy now, comedian. You Don't want to hurt poor little chara now do you? Hehehe...not when you two were getting to be so close and so cute. Like Uncle and nephew. Or close friends at least.”** _ _A belittling smile crossed it’s features now,_ **_“you could have really hurt them with that one.”_**

_"_ _w-what the hell are you talking about?_ _" Sans whispered, trying very unsuccessfully to hide the fear that was coursing through his body._

_“S...Sans...” a child's voice spoke. Sans could see a tear slowly drip from one of the eyes as it returned to the normal red. This thing was now playing on Sans' emotions and the last bit of empathy that he had. “H-Help me…” Chara cried out, looking quite scared from the normal looking eye, that Sans could see._

_"_ _c-chara?_ _" Sans whimpered, recognizing the voice. "_ _w-what happened to you?_ _"_

_**“Oh so you do remember them! How sweet…”** _ _The demon laughed cruelly, looking quite amused by this. Chara whimpered, regaining control for a moment, or perhaps the demon allowed Chara to have this control? Who really knew except for_ **_them._ **

_“I...I’m sorry….I-I m-messed up...again…” Chara whispered, tears streaming down their face like a waterfall. “I...I wanted to b-bring Alphys back, and-and Jessica and all the others that died. I wanted you and everyone...to have a happier ending and...I’m s-sorry…”_

_"_ _c-chara, i-i, you were just trying to do good, right? there's nothing wrong with that, but you still need to be careful. a-and i don't know how this happened, but i forgive you. n-now, reset now, before it's too late._ _" Sans said, sounding like he was on the verge of tears._

_“I...I c-can’t...th-this d-demon..promised it’d… give me a way to get a happier ending, w-without the reset and..it- it took everyone! I-I don’t kn-know how but...now it wants your S-SOUL too. You n-need to escape! G-Get out of here and-and save yourself!” Chara shouted, sounding absolutely terrified out of his poor little mind._

_"_ _i-i can't, it won't let me._ _" Sans whimpered quietly._

_The demon took control once again, its gaze re-fixing onto Sans’s once more as it took another, slow, deliberate step forward to him._ _**“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, judge.”** _ _The demon sneered, as it made a grab at Sans, barely missing as his instincts kicked into high gear and he dodged out of the way._ _**“I’m only going to play with you a little. Try and maybe figure out what makes you tick. Maybe...break a few bones here and there, kill your brother a couple thousand times right in front of you and watch you squirm. Strangle the life out of your pathetic soul with little chara’s bare hands. Doesn’t that sound like fun, judge?”** _ _The thing grinned wider, as more skin began to tear and flake off._

_There was another swipe, as it watched Sans twist to the side, just barely managing to evade being grabbed._

_Sans shivered and tried to continue to flee, but was suddenly stopped when something wrapped around his legs, locking them in place. He gasped and looked down to find Kumu wound tightly around his legs. Desperately, Sans reached down and frantically tried to tear the blob away, but it wouldn't budge at all. Sans looked up again, his eye sockets wide and eyelights little more than tiny pinpricks. Tears and sweat shone on his skull and soaked his clothes as he shook like a little leaf, his bones rattling loudly as he accepted his fate._

**_CRUNCH!!_ **

_“hngh!”_

_The sound was loud and painful, as Bara had reached an arm out, its hand changing shape again to be far bigger than normal. Their index and middle fingers locked tightly around Sans' shoulders, the thumb and the rest snapping his arms to his sides, as he was shoved backward at full-force into the pillar behind him. His spine slammed against the hard surface of the smooth gold painted quartz. Solid and unyielding. It stole Sans' breath away, causing him to choke out from his throat, the wind knocked right out of his small form._

_Bara began adjusting their hands position. It briefly released Sans and allowed him to fall the slightest amount before grabbing him by the throat, and then lifting him back up to his original spot, still keeping him effectively pinned against the pillar as he struggled for breath. His feet now barely touched the floor, as he tried to squirm away even though it was useless and his hands instinctively shot up to desperately and uselessly claw at the hand that was wrapped around his throat, wanting to remove it before it choked the life out of him or snapped his neck like a twig. His one measly little DEF doing absolutely nothing to protect him._

_Sans inwardly cursed at his miserable stats, and could feel how the hard, rough surface of the Hall’s pillar pressed painfully into his spine as the thing continued keeping him pinned against it._

_**“Tsk, tsk tsk. One month of the easy life on the surface and you’ve lost yourself. How shameful ‘uncle sans.’ you know, if you were still at your a-game you might have even actually won this. Made it so much more interesting.”** _ _The demon spoke sounding bored, yet smug, it's hand continuing to grip at Sans throat, and tightening the slightest amount. Bara grinned as it heard the sound of his bones groaning._

_"_ _th-that gh! s-sounds unlikely._ _" Sans half said half choked, until suddenly he felt Baras hand had loosened the slightest bit, once Bara was certain they’d be able to hold Sans' weight by just the skeleton’s own neck without losing much grip and accidentally releasing him. Sans tried to sound snarky, despite his fear. "_ _since… y-you're normally supposed t-to take damage when you get hit._ _"_

_**“Oh, and let poor little chara die because of your attacks? How hurtful. He looks up to you, you know?”** _ _The demon sneered,_ **_“You were always his favorite. Like an older brother. He’s only alive because I absorbed your attacks. If i didn’t, they’d all go directly to him. And you made a promise to the poor goat lady to keep him safe behind the door. You should be thankful. To me for protecting the child.”_**

_Bara continued to shove Sans steadily into the pillar behind him, still just dangling the poor, small skeleton monster off the ground by his neck. Bara almost considered whether or not to simply just crush his bones against it._

_"_ _and..hngh! i-i'm pretty sure that he w-wants to die, thanks to you. and f-first off you blame me for not… not doing anything sooner, n-now you bl-blame me for t-trying to stop you. make...make up your mind…!_ _" Sans hissed back shakily, still squirming in the creature's grip and gasping for air when Bara had tensed their hand as a warning, feeling as the smaller attempted to escape, his fear intensifying._

_**“Perseverance, Uncle Sans. out of everything that you need, that is the one thing you’ve always lacked the most on, you know? And it's also what’s most needed right now. Even in days of peace… really, you should take more after your brother or undyne. Learn to keep at it just like those two. With everything that you got! That’s how you can win this little game of ours, sansy. And how you’ll keep me entertained and happy.”** _ _The demon spoke again, their voice turning into a low growl._

**_“Y o u w a n t m e t o b e h a p p y , d o n ‘t y o u ? Or… you could…. S u f f e r t h e_** _ **c o n s e q u e n c e s .”** _ _The demon warned Sans, still pushing him up against the pillar, causing his bones to creak and making sure that he couldn’t move. Although it didn’t hold him tight enough to kill him just yet, only enough to ensure Sans wouldn’t be able to escape nor teleport. Instilling the fear every so often with a slight squeeze as a distraction and reminder that_ **_they_ ** _were the one in control, and could very well just as easily as snap his neck bones with the mere twitch of it's fingers._

_"_ _heh, gh…! th-that sounds u-unlikely, considering that...that you're the kind of p-person that will_ **_n-never_ ** _be h-happy._ _" Sans growled back, still shivering and squirming. Sans’ phalanges tightened around Bara's wrist once more when he again felt that same cursed hand tighten around his throat. Feeling as the bone began to crack under the pressure, before again, he was released but just slightly. Allowing for the smaller skeleton to gasp in pain, grimacing._

**_“Hehe..oh, that’s where you’re wrong, comedian. I already told you. Y o u , out of every single monster living in the whole underground, y o u were always my most favorite. That’s why I like toying with you a lot during these…”Genocide” timelines. It’s partially because this is the only time that I get to see you at your most powerful.. When you’re not just a ‘comedian,’ and ‘the world's friendliest, most laziest skeleton.’”_ **

**_“But also, whether you know it, or not it’s also because you a l l o w me to toy with you. Because you want me to and think that it’s what you deserve for all the lies that you’ve told, and the secrets you’ve hidden from everyone you claim to call your ‘friends.’ Even your own precious ‘baby brother’ whom you raised and ‘trust the most.’ you hide, Because you want to believe you’ve given up, but somehow, there’s still some part of you that still cares.”_** _The demon snarled, lowering him down slightly, allowing Sans a brief moment to touch the floor of the Hall with the edge of his slippers, as it carefully leaned its face closer to Sans’s own._

**_“There’s still something within you that loves oh, so deeply despite your claims. Maybe...sometimes it’s just a little broken. And everything just feels like it’s a little numb, but i know it’s there. It just overwhelms you sometimes and refuses to listen when you tell it to stop is all.”_ **

_The demon hissed into Sans’s ear, or lack of one. Making sure he heard every word loud and clear, as it continued to grin rather cruelly, one of the demon's hands leaving its place by its side, its fingers tensing._ **_“Even with the reset button completely gone and broken, And the one in control of the said resets unable to ever access the power again, you’re still just so afraid of allowing yourself to let the others inside. To allow them to see your inner demons and to help you face them. It’s almost funny, in a way. You. the king’s j u d g e , the one in charge and who wields the blade to bring judgement down upon the sinners, or show mercy to those who deserve it…”_**

**_“Can’t even find it within to forgive themselves. Because in reality, there never w a s a single thing you could do about the anomaly. But because you ‘gave up’ now you think that everything is entirely your fault. G u i l t that you simply accepted the way things were. For standing by while everything and everyone you ever cared about was ripped away from you, over and over.”_ **

**_“You blame yourself, because you cannot accept that in a way, you're exactly the same as the anomaly. Another killer with blood on their hands, who did not a thing, even as his own b r o t h e r was brutally murdered directly in front of you hundreds upon thousands of times. You claim to lay judgement on the sinners, but yet you struggle to hide from your past, by continuously distancing yourself, and not allowing the others inside, you create M E .”_ **

_"_ _n-no, that's not true._ _" Sans said weakly, even though he knew deep down that the creature's words were true. Or at least, that he believed them to be true._

**_“Hehehe...Oh Sansy... Truth hurts doesn’t it? And the truth is, judge, no matter how much you know you couldn’t do a thing anyways, you believe that you cannot justify your actions, anymore than the typical murderer out on the street. Or even me. And for what i do, and put you through so many nights. HahaHAHA!! I don’t always look like this in your dreams, I’m not even real, Should be obvious, since you can’t even touch me.”_ **

_**“Because your mind doesn’t want you to be able to hurt or touch me. For I am the thing your very own guilty consciousness created, to torture and deliver judgement onto Y o u for y o u r sins.”** _ _Once more, Bara’s hold on Sans' throat tightened, making him choke out in alarm, as his sockets flew closed, struggling for air for several seconds before releasing, just enough to allow Sans to start breathing again._

**_“I am the thing that keeps your cute little mind awake at night. I am the demon that comes when you call it’s name, the one that haunts every dark corner of your mind, to ensure that not even the j u d g e is above his own consequences. I will never rest, for as long as you hold onto that guilt and refuse help. I will come back. And i promise you sansy…”_ **

**_“Y o u n e v e r w i l l e i t h e r . I hope you can feel your Sins crawling on your back~ because y o u n e v e r w e r e t h e o n e i n_**

**_c_ ** **_o n t r o l right from the start.”_ **

_**“Oh well...”** _ _The demon cooed, shrugging. Pausing for a moment, to see Sans face, still screwed up in pain as he struggled again to get free. Bara noticed a small hairline fracture had now appeared down the length of Sans’s neck. Bara tsked, backing their face away from Sans' slightly as their free hand transformed into a mini scythe and they again raised it above their head. The shadow resulting from it, now effectively hiding the demon's face, besides the cruel pink and red pupils that continued to glow as it smiled evilly._ **_“It’s been fun Sansy, but your dream is about to be over soon. So, before you wake up… let me share some parting words before I kill you as I always do in that twisted, adorable little mind of yours okay?”_**

_Bara asked, their voice taking on that sweet, innocent childlike tone to it, mixed with that of the demons voice and sounding oh, so W R O N G._

**_“Just a little friendly advice sansy, but, you know...As the Judge. You do a lousy job at showing yourself some mercy, You say that being the judge requires you to be harsh on those deserving of it. But also to be able to have the skills to show mercy and take that into account as well., yet it’s funny how long you’ve gone on with this, self-punishment, tortured soul shtick. Acting as if you don’t deserve to be able to outrun your own sentences, which is why you usually just stand there and take it whenever you dream about me.”_ **

**_“And, as much fun as you are to play with in these dreams of yours, I gotta say you need to also work on that very active imagination of yours. Learn the difference between reality and the imagination world your fears and guilt conjures up that allows me to play these games with you. Your only defense is your entertainment and even that only goes up to a certain point.”_ **

**_“But likewise, I suppose it’s about time for you to wake up now, Sansy boy. This dreams gone on for longer than what is healthy, even for you, the king of self-torture. So...here.”_ **

**_“L E T M E G I V E Y O U A H E L P I N G H A N D.”_ **

_Sans tensed and tried to squeeze his eye sockets shut. He wanted to focus his final thoughts on his family and friends so that they would be the last thing that he saw before he died, however some mysterious force prevented him from shutting his eye sockets._

_The demon smirked, as the blade came down in a wide arch. Blood, or Sans’s own mysterious version of it, sprayed outwards as the blade cut violently through his rib cage in a downward slash, only just barely missing his SOUL. The blade cut just deep enough to slice through solid bone._

_Bara smirked inwardly, almost admiring even, as the blood splatter on the glass paned window, and pillar behind Sans mirrored that of an Angel’s wing coming from Sans’s body._

_Sans cried out in pain as the blade struck, and a fire erupted in his chest, causing him to nearly lose consciousness as his breathing turned into ragged, strained gasps and his vision blurred, blood leaking from his mouth as well._

_Chara, who’d been possessed by the demon grimaced, as he heard Sans cry out in agony._

_**“You really need to learn to quit doing this to yourself...”** _ _The demon whispered, almost sounding as if it even felt bad for the smaller skeleton, as it suddenly stopped the blade, halfway into the last rib. Leaving it there as it slowly released Sans’s neck and held him closer pressing their own body against his. Scythe digging deeper slightly, as the child leaned in, allowing Sans to rest his skull against their shoulder when they then gathered the limp monster into a tender, even gentle hug. Just like Sans had seen Toriel do so many times with Chara and Asriel._

_As soon as the creature relaxed it's grip on him, Sans fell forward into their arms, his own arms and legs dangling limply as more of his blood soaked into his own clothes and the demon's, as well as dripping onto the floor. Sans shivered, as the scythe had cut forward, matching Bara’s movements._

_**“We really are not so different, you and I. Well, since in a way, I am you. But still.”** _ _The demon gave a chuckle, sounding oddly fond and friendly._ **_“If I may further suggest, as I feel obligated to do so. Even though i already know you’d most likely ignore me since you can be quite stubborn sometimes and have a thick skull, ‘uncle sans.’ But, before our next ‘session,’ might I suggest, perhaps you should show some kindness to yourself,. Let your friends in sansy, and allow them to give you the help you oh, so desperately deserve and need.”_**

**_“You may be the judge, but even you too, deserve forgiveness you know? I think, that would be better suited. To save you from yourself, before it’s too late. Just, something to think about for when you wake.”_ **

_Sans tried to reply, but only ended up gagging and coughing up more blood as his chest burned._

_The demon giggled once again, as this time, they dug in deeper, more forward moving. The scythe transformed back into a hand as it suddenly grabbed Sans’ inverted SOUL with agonizing strength and yanked it out, before backing away, and allowing Sans to fall backward, when Bara shoved him. Sans knees gave out, buckling beneath his weight, his body sliding down against the pillar and into a crumpled heap on the smooth tile, as the demon smirked, now holding the defenseless little organ in its grasp._

_“NO!!” Chara screamed, panicking. “Please, stop hurting him…!!” He begged, feeling the demons cruel glee and excitement as he watched through their shared vision at Sans’s soul within their hands._

_The SOUL appeared to be beating, a beacon of sorts, as if it was begging for its body to go and retrieve it from Bara, seeking for help._

_Sans weakly lifted his head as he equally weakly reached out towards his SOUL, even as a familiar numb feeling of disconnection started to creep over him and parts of his body started to flake off into dust._

_The demon looked down at the crippled monster on the ground, almost feeling sorry for him, as it then called Kumu back towards itself and commanded the blob to open its mouth._

_Inside, they could see several monster souls already there, screaming to be let out._

_Undyne’s, Dr. Alphys', Toriel's, Papyrus, W.D. Gaster's, Mettaton's, Napstablook's, Asriel's, even regular monster souls were there too, like a couple Froggits, Shyren, Aarons, Woshuas etc. It was all too much as the demon brought his own soul closer to Kumu, the little organ pulsing with magic frantically and weakly. Desperate._

_Chara looked back at Sans' crippled body with a remorseful expression. As if saying, “this is all my fault. I’m so sorry Sans. I’m so sorry I put you and everyone through this.” The child was terrified out of his mind, and he had every right to be. He couldn’t even bring up any determination to fight this thing he was so scared and full of guilt. “I’m sorry Sans…”_

_Chara sobbed shutting his one eye as tears continued to stream down. “I...I never should have tried to do anything! Why couldn’t I have just left things alone, and deal with what we had left?! Why do I always have to mess everything up and make things so much worse!! I never should have even been born!!” Chara screamed, as even more determination left his red soul, replacing it with a dull grey as Chara sobbed. “It’s no wonder why my human parents hated me...If only I’d just died and- and…”_

_"_ _i forgive you chara. this isn't your fault._ _" Sans said in a voice that was barely more than a strained breath, before he desperately tried to use blue magic to grab his SOUL and bring it back to him._

_Chara's voice hitched, when he heard what Sans said, his eye widening in surprise._

_But by then it was too late._

_The SOUL had only just started to turn faintly blue when-_

**_CHOMP!!_ **

* * *

Chara tried once more prodding the soul of Sans, with his determination, when he felt that strange, disturbing feeling seem to emanate from his half of their shared body. Their concern and worry only growing as he felt that weird sensation of something akin to fear only continued to grow the last 20 minutes, when Sans wouldn’t wake up.

A couple times during then, blue bones sometimes were accidentally summoned as Sans was dreaming. Though luckily none had reached Asgore's bed or woken up the others, and they vanished almost as quickly as they’d been summoned anyways.

On occasion, Charans' mouth spoke up as well, mumbling some small pleas for mercy, and Chara had even heard his own name called out once or twice, followed by weak whimpers, moans of pain and the like. 

A few times, Chara was almost even tempted to see into Sans mind and thoughts and see what he was dreaming about but he knew better how horribly wrong and invading it was to a Monsters soul. As doing so, could even risk the soul cracking. And Chara had no plans to know what that felt like if it happened to a Godsoul…

Not to mention, Sans had already been essentially SOUL tortured by Betty for the most part, and possibly had his secrets and memories forced open by that demon child, when he had his magic drained non-consensually. Although Chara admitted he had always wondered what sort of secrets Sans held, what made him the monster he was, how he worked, how he became JUDGE; but Chara was determined to find out through trust. The way bonds of friendship should be built. And so, Chara turned away from his curiosity, trying to spare Sans as much as possible of his knowing.

Now, however, the night was quiet and Sans still didn’t respond. The whimpers had stopped and so he shrugged it off after a minute passed, assuming Sans' dream had just vanished and he was now sleeping again, and Chara began to slowly drift back to sleep himself when out of nowhere a scream erupted in his mind as he felt control of Charans' body suddenly being violently pulled away from him.

The hybrid body dropped to the ground and thrashed about, as if Sans was desperately trying to escape from something, his SOUL almost seeming to be trying to fight its way free of the fusion, pulsing rapidly with terror.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!” Papyrus and Asriel screamed out in alarm when the hybrid had suddenly just made a fast movement, thrashing out of their sleeping holds and fell to the ground. The goat and Skeleton monster now follow.

“W-Whoa!! HEY!! Sans wh-?!'' Chara cried out as well, jolted awake as he felt Sans soul fighting to break free from the fusion. He struggled back for control, only managing to control their right arm as he grabbed at their chest. The hybrids legs, and left arm flailing and kicking about wildly as Chara desperately tried to summon out their Godsoul to see what was wrong. 

“Sans, stop!!! STOP IT!! It’s just me, Chara!! Chill okay?!” Chara yelled, as bits of Sans own voice broke in now and again, screaming in terror as he grabbed at the collar of their sweater, still struggling to summon the Godsoul they shared.

Sans seemed to recognize Chara, but he still couldn't calm down as he continued to squirm about on the floor. Chara could catch a few disjointed thoughts, most of them overwhelming feelings of fear and helplessness and also involving Betty. It seemed like he was having another panic attack.

“W-WHAT’S GOING ON?! SANS?!?!” Papyrus cried, as Asriel hid behind his legs. Both of them terrified as Papyrus watched the hybrid thrashing about rather violently, knocking the chair the three had been sleeping on, onto the floor with a loud CLATTER!!

Bones were automatically summoned around the Hybrid thrashing on the floor when Chara had succeeded in calling out their SOUL, grabbing hold of it for a moment in the only limb they managed to control as the hybrid wrestled with himself.

Paps and Asriel moved towards Asgore's bed, when they noticed some of the bones had gotten a bit too close to comfort. Paps also recognized when the Hybrids left arm had moved upward, and felt blue magic, aimless, roiling and agitated began coating every single inch of the room, coating everything in a harsh, cyan glow. Paps panicked, as both he and Asriel grabbed hold of the bed belonging to the unconscious King. Paps lifted one of his hands in an attempt to grab hold of Charans Godsoul to help Chara calm Sans down. However, due to their mixed SOUL technically still being 2 SOULs just merged into one it had absolutely no effect on the Hybrid.

“SANS!!” Chara tried again but in vain, seeing what was going on, now taking over one of their eye sockets as well as he tried to calm down his SOUL roommate. ‘ _What the heck do I do?!’_ Chara thought, as he could feel his own red SOUL being forced out and Chara struggled with all his determination to hold on and remain in partial control, as Sans continued to panic, their fear and terror only escalating as well.

It seemed like Sans was dreaming his soul was still stuck inside Kumu, and was trying frantically to get out.

“S-Sans, please!!! Please, wake up!! You need to calm down!! It’s just a bad dream!! Wake up!!” Chara shouted desperately, feeling the hold on Sans soul slipping out from under him more and more. It made Chara wonder if at this point, Sans could even hear him at all. Feeling as though he was just hanging on now by the skin of his teeth.

But Sans either didn’t seem to hear or he was far too deep into his own nightmare to even realize what he was doing as Sans had given one final shove, Chara hearing the Hybrids scream for mercy as Charas’ SOUL was finally, and violently shoved free. 

Suddenly Chara felt disconnected from the fusion entirely, when the next minute everything had gone white in their vision.

Chara closed in on himself in fear as he thought, ‘ _This is it. This is where I die_.’ 

Faintly, he wondered if maybe Asriel would try and save him and fuse too...that would be nice. Seemingly forgetting human SOULs could persist after death for at least 5 minutes before shattering.

Papyrus felt the disconnect, and watched as the red SOUL had been violently jerked out from Charans chest, where the now all white, inverted heart shaped SOUL floated all alone. The red SOUL was sent flying across the room and stopping at a corner, furthest away from all 3.

Asriel shouted in alarm, seeing this as well, and was nearly tempted to go and retrieve it until he remembered that doing so, would leave Asgore incredibly vulnerable however, if neither of them could get Sans to calm, before he started throwing the furniture and things against walls, that his blue magic had been activated upon.

Slowly Paps tried to approach the hybrid when he saw the blue magic still surrounding the room, and knew calming down Sans had to be their priority first, before retrieving Chara’s SOUL. “SANS?” Papyrus called out, reaching a hand forward as Asriel watched, unsure of what to do and still gripping the side of Asgores bed, as if hoping to keep it weighed down when he saw Sans magical eye activate out of fear at the approaching monster.

“P-Paps!! Be careful!!” Asriel called out in alarm towards Papyrus.

Outside the walls to Asgore's room, Asriel thought he could faintly hear the sound of Toriel and Gaster waking up from the amount of noise they were making and Asriel shuddered.

Inside his own SOUL, after several seconds Chara slowly opened his eyes again, seeing he was now in a sparkly white void of sorts. Gently floating, he looked around confused. “A-Azzy? Paps?!” Chara called out, wondering where even the heck he was. “SANS?!” 

Chara looked around, frantically. ‘ _Where the hell am I now…? Wasn’t I just at the school and in a room with Azzy and Paps?’_ Chara thought, thoroughly confused.

Ahead of him, he saw a couple hazy...yet familiar silhouettes. Chara slowly approached them, half expecting it to be perhaps Toriel and Asgore or something, when the shadowy figures turned and Chara gasped.

It was his parents alright. His _human_ parents.

Chara stared at them in shock, as sudden flashbacks slammed into Charas mind of so many miserable days, when they’d beaten him for miserable grades, or pretty much used any excuse in the book to make his life a living hell and abuse him. Chara suddenly glared, his eyes shining even redder than normal. Teeth gritted tight as he clenched his fists.

“You two…! I never thought I’d EVER see either of your faces ever again!!” Chara snarled as more flashbacks continued plaguing Chara's mind. Memories that reminded Chara all too much why he hated humanity so dearly, and would forever always expect the worse to come from the race he’d been born into. “You’re the reason I fell in the Underground, why I ran away from you two!!”

Papyrus nodded towards Asriel, wasting not a single moment as he slowly eased himself forward, moving with practiced gentleness towards the Hybrid who, now that Charas SOUL was no longer attached to Sans’s own, which was still sitting outside their chest. And Charas’s own SOUL now on the other side of the room, tucked in a corner...The hybrid was looking remarkably and very much more, ‘Sans-like.’

“SANS…?” Papyrus called, reaching out a careful hand, the taller skeleton monster laid it gently against Sans’s arm.

Fortunately, the feeling of Chara's SOUL separating from his own, Papyrus' touch and the calming pulses he could sense coming from his brother's SOUL and the general intensity of the nightmare was enough to finally wake Sans up. He cried out again when he’d felt Paps hand sliding upwards, and suddenly, Sans teleported across the room, where he curled up into a tight, trembling, little ball, his eye sockets wide with terror as his eyelights rapidly darted about shrinking into tiny pin pricks.

Sans was now, at least 10 inches from where Charas SOUL had been thrown, and directly facing towards it, but unseen by the panicked skeleton.

“S-Sans!!! Come back, please!!” Asriel cried out in alarm when the hybrid vanished.”Don’t you hear us?! You’re safe!!”

Chara’s SOUL was “beating” with DT weakly, simply floating there and spinning slowly in place like unwanted trash. Discarded.

Asriel hoped Sans would be able to notice it soon, the sight of his brothers SOUL almost too sad to bear.

Paps could hear how Sans breath had heightened, quick and harsh, sounding strained as his eyelights continued to dart around. His brother's limbs closed tightly around himself, hands subconsciously gripping at the shirt of his chest. Protective as he continued to shift and look around the room for an enemy that only he could see. This sight reminded the taller of a cornered animal, and his soul ached for his sibling.Wishing to just pull Sans into a tight embrace, and then hold him until the worst had come to pass.

Gradually, as if sensing Sans soul was nearby, still floating outside Sans chest, its own DT seemed to glow slightly brighter in panic, as the first crack had formed, right in the middle of it. Marking the first minute had passed, and only 4 more minutes it had left until it would shatter for good.

Asriel cried out in alarm, noticing this as he pointed. One hand still gripping the bed of his fathers, “PAPS!! LOOK!! CHARA’S SOUL IS-!!”

Despite the fact that he was still quite panicked, Sans also noticed what was happening to Chara's SOUL seeing it outside his own body and pulsing with determination in weakened “beats.”. He cried out in alarm and carefully tried to grab the SOUL, trying to send Chara the feeling that he was sorry and that he did still want them around, though the fact that he wasn't completely calm made it difficult.

Meanwhile, back in the white void of space, Chara’s human parents held out their hands. Acting as if the years of abuse they’d dealt to their son didn’t happen at all and that they could be a “happy little family” again.

“Come, Chara. You should come back to us.” replied Chara’s father.

“Yes, Chara. Be a good little boy and come to us. You want to make Mommy happy don’t you?” said Chara’s mom in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Chara's eyes widened once more, his pupils dilating a bit and shrinking. _Were they serious?! No way in hell was I ever returning to them after all they put me through!!_ Chara thought, as his lips peered back, teeth revealing themselves as he growled, “Why?! So you two can just hit me again, and tell me how stupid I was for not understanding my assignments and homework and _tell me_ how I shouldn’t even be alive just because I was a little slower than most kids?!”

Chara’s soul partly started to turn slightly darker, like the HATE it’d been harboring was starting to leak out, in response to the hate Chara was feeling towards his human parents and how they seemed to be gaslighting the situation. Since he was now in Limbo. In the void between life and death.

Chara gasped, as he also felt something darker start to take over. The whites of one of his eyes turned completely black, and so did half of his face as Chara struggled to tame the Hate again. He felt Sans’s gentle touch, although it was a bit hazed, and didn’t fully register since he was still panicking. But, in a small way, it helped to ground Chara as he remembered the Dreemurrs. 

How Asriel had found him that day when Chara was at his absolute lowest point in his life and had wished for nothing more than for Death to swallow him up and take him away from the hellscape called Life. How readily they accepted him, despite being a human and a part of the race that had trapped them all Underground with no hope for escape.

Papyrus looked quite frantic, as he gently tried to approach his brother again, seeing the now-half red, and half blackened soul just sitting there between Sans’ hands and, as carefully as he could, so not to startle him, who pretty much looked exactly as Sans had, before he started to melt. The Hybrids body taking Sans’s appearance entirely without Chara's soul connected to Sans’s at all now, and got to his knees and with a feather-like grace he carefully placed a hand to Sans shoulder, cooing soft encouragements towards him, lowering his volume to an almost-whisper, “Sans It’s Me, Your Brother. You’re Safe Sans. Remember? Betty is Dead And Gone. You’re No Longer In Danger. And We Are Safe. You Are Safe. Everything Is Okay Now.” 

Sans looked up at his brother, then immediately latched onto him with one arm, still keeping the other hand on Chara's SOUL as he gently tried to call them back.

Papyrus almost hugged Sans in desperation, still cooing soft encouragements, trying to help Sans stay calm and ease Chara's SOUL back in again before it was too late. Noticing as more hairline fractures were appearing on Charas determination red soul, and guessed they had maybe 2 minutes more til it were to shatter entirely. Some part of him almost wanted Sans to stay this way, and break the red soul, as selfish as it was. For he missed his brother having his own body so dearly, and seeing Sans like this brought on so many memories, but also knew it wouldn’t be right to sacrifice Chara, after Chara had done everything he possibly could to save Sans’s life and everyone else’s, even his own from Gaster nearly killing him the other day.

Chara felt the faint feeling Sans was giving him of how sorry he was and that he was still needed, and Chara focused on that feeling, as he reminded himself of that too. “I’m needed. The Monsters needed me. I am the Future of Humans and Monsters.” He told himself firmly, as the HATE that was threatening to take over was slowly chased away from taking over his SOUL and his mind. Slowly, Chara started to turn away from his human parents before stopping. He needed to say something before he left them. He felt, or else, he may even regret it later…

Slowly, Chara turned his head to look over his shoulder, slightly ignoring the feeling as Sans tried to reach out to him, to call Chara back into the realm of the living. 

“Before I go...I just want to tell you that I am NOT ‘your’ Chara anymore. My name is Chara Dreemurr. Adoptive son and brother to Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of the Monsters. For so long, I always thought that it was my own fault you treated me the way you guys did and all I wanted, was for you to accept me the way that I was. For your love. And, it was for that love that I ran to Mt. Ebott to escape from you two because I believed I’d never be able to earn it. Love, that _should_ be given to their children unconditionally, no matter how many mistakes they made.” Chara told them firmly, unwaveringly. “In a weird way....I almost want to thank you. For being so cruel. For making me, a 7 year old boy lose so much hope in this harsh world, that I ran away from you two and fell into the Underground.”

“Because if it wasn’t for you, I’d NEVER have found a family that gave me, EXACTLY that which you NEVER did. A family who, even when me and my adoptive brother had accidentally misread one of the recipe ingredients for a Pie and almost killed our Dad, still loved us both with all their heart and SOUL and never once mistreated me the way you two did. It was because of you two, I learned what a REAL family was like, and I’m going to go back to them now. You two had every chance to make things right with me, and it’s come and gone now. And I am going to spend every last waking moment and cherish them for the life they gave me. And it’s all thanks to you two. So goodbye.”

And with that, the white void began to disappear, as Chara walked away from the two...

Slowly, the little red soul began to return to its home, as it slowly fazed back into the hybrids chest. Charans regaining his original, half human, half skeleton look as the two souls merged once more in sync with one another. 

Chara rewoke with a gasp, slightly gaining back control as he made the hybrid heave, gasping for breath like he himself hadn’t been breathing for quite some time. Chara coughed and gagged as he felt incredibly light-headed, having literally and practically been brought back to life from a near death experience from his SOUL being pushed out in Sans’s panic. “Wh...wha..?” Chara asked, not really remembering much of what happened as he still struggled for breath, Papyrus gently rubbing the hybrid's back as he continued to coo. 

"h-heya chara." Sans said shakily. "sorry for trying to throw you out. i, uh, wasn't thinking properly." He seemed to have calmed down quite a bit during the several minutes that him and Chara were separated, probably partially due to how good Papyrus had gotten at helping his brother when he'd had a nightmare.

“I-it's...fi-fine..” Chara coughed, still struggling for air, as slowly, the memories faded back from his time in Limbo basically. Slowly, Chara loosened their shared limbs, and touched his chest. “No wonder I feel like I just died. Again. Heh...Are you feeling alright?” Chara asked, suddenly more concerned for Sans' well being than his own and the fact he LITERALLY almost died.

_He was a good kid. Although a bit strange. Worrying for others, when he himself was so close to death._

Papyrus and Asriel thought, watching the hybrid with bated breath, though also seeking for answers.

Sans hesitated, wondering how much of the truth he should reveal, then replied. "i-i don't know. i s-saw that thing i-it all felt so r-real and i…" He trailed off, curling up more and letting out a whimper.

“Sshhh...It’s Okay Brother. You’re Safe Now. And Among Family. Nothing Can Hurt You Now.” Papyrus said as he gathered Charans into a hug against his chest, the gentle hum of his own soul, entering the ears of the hybrid as it steadily grounded them both. Almost smoothing.

Asriel nodded, also gently crawling into the hug as well, hugging the hybrid and just grateful he didn’t have to watch as he almost lost Chara maybe a third time in his life now, as tears filled his eyes, in worry for his precious sibling and new sibling(s). “We love you Sans. Chara. Charans. It’s just a dream. Nothing can hurt you in dreams.” Asriel whispered, soft white fur touching hard, skin bone but also quite soothing.

"i-i know, but i-it, it didn't seem l-like a dream at the t-time."

“Dreams suck. I should have been more awake..Maybe I could have helped you more. Some soulmate I am-” Chara paused, realizing what he said and backpedalled. “Ah, uh, I m-meant, soul...roommate. Thing. Yeah!! Not- Soulmate!!” Chara blushed at the wording mistake. Though he was also just trying to use this as a means to cope and help to maybe cheer Sans up and distract him a bit.

Asriel seemed to pick up on this and teased, “What so you dating Sans now brother?” Asriel chuckled, and laughed as Chara's face turned slightly blue in a blush.

“NYEH?” Papyrus asked, far too innocent to really understand the joke.

"c-chara, it's not your fault. you need rest as well." Sans replied, still curled up in a ball.

“I’m fine. ‘Sides, how can I when you’re clearly in pain?” Chara asked, gently also giving Sans a mental hug. “I’ll stay awake as long as you need me to.”

Sans accepted the mental hug and stayed in it for a few minutes before replying. "are you sure you're fine? especially a-after i tried to throw you out?" 

“Yes, of course. I know you didn’t mean to and I don’t blame you for it.” Chara told him, “It...must have been really bad for you in there huh? You probably just thought I was Kumu and-” Chara asked him, though once he sensed Sans’s hesitancy he nodded. This confirms his suspicions. “Well, I’m not gonna hurt you like Betty did. You’re part of my family now, and you always will be.” Chara continued to mentally hug Sans, gently rubbing his back, the way he could feel Paps and Asriel continuously doing to Charans. 

“And if I do, do something that you don’t like, or I accidentally hurt you in whatever way, I always want you to let me know okay? So I won’t ever do it again.”

"i-i know." Sans whimpered, snuggling into everyone's hold even more. Part of him wanted to ask if Chara had ever had nightmares like this, as the idea that his SOUL roommate had also struggled with these things and understood what it was like made him feel less alone.

Chara seemed to sense this, hesitating a moment since not even Azzy had known, as Chara never actually attacked anyone in his sleep during his nightmares but after several seconds Chara decided to share, knowing it might help make Sans feel more at ease. “I..used to have nightmares a lot, especially the first couple months, when I first fell in the Underground and was living with the Dreemurrs. Usually, they mostly involved my Human parents...and sometimes my paranoia, that the Dreemurrs were only pretending to care and would eventually abuse me too. I never told them though, I mean they were always just so kind. But for that first year or two, I never could fully trust them because of those nightmares and my thoughts bugging me it would all just end the same. That I’d mess up everything and that would be it. But, luckily it never happened. Heh.”

“I don’t know if my nightmares are anything as intense as yours tho. Especially compared to tonight but I get it. Ya know? I still remember some nights waking up in the middle of the night crying, and having to hide under the blankets and pretend to sleep cuz I didn’t wanna wake up anyone and bother them with my mind just being so stupid and seem like I didn’t appreciate them for what they were doing. But- yeah. Nightmares sucks.”

"i'm sorry that that happened to you." Sans replied gently, hoping that he hadn't accidentally pressured them into revealing something so personal. "at least papyrus was always there to comfort me when i had one."

Azzy seemed to be in shock hearing that. ‘ _Was that why Chara’s smiles always seemed to look so sad sometimes? Oh Cha….’_ Azzy thought sadly, wishing he’d known so he could have helped him out back then.

“Heh, yeah.” Chara smiled, “You got a really big brother taking care of you. Sometimes, I wish I hadn’t been so stubborn. Maybe then I wouldn’t have thought I owed them my life and thought killing myself would save them all from being trapped down there. Thinking back on it, I’m sure if I’d just let them in, they could have helped me too.” He continued to hug Sans mentally and comfortingly.

Sans continued to silently accept the mental hugs, happy to just accept everyone's comfort as he slowly calmed down again, while still hoping that the others wouldn't want more details about what exactly he had been dreaming about. He wasn't really ready to talk about that just yet. Especially since he had never opened up about this to anyone before, not even Papyrus.

Chara hesitated asking Sans about his nightmare, but figured maybe it might be best to just let Sans open up at his own pace. Not really feeling the need to bug him about it, even though deep down he knew that might be the thing Sans needed the most. But at the same time, he also knew Sans had been through a lot. And didn’t want to stress him out, even IF Chara had the ability to also just peel Sans' soul open and learn it himself, but he resisted the urge. Wanting to respect Sans privacy. Plus avoid risking doing more harm to Sans soul than it already had gone through.

Instead Chara merely told him, “I love you bro. You can tell us, whenever you feel ready, okay? And, know we won’t judge you or anything. We’re just here to help.”

"i love you too. all of you. you guys are the best." Was all Sans said in response. 

"but i don't know if i'll ever be ready." He thought, despite the fact that part of him was saying that he **_needed_ ** to open up, that the others could and would help him if he did.

_‘I am the thing that keeps you up at night and resides in every dark corner of that guilt-ridden mind of yours sansy. And i will not rest, and neither will you.’_ _Sans remembered as Baras voice had creeped up on him from his nightmare, making Sans voice hitch the slightest amount._

Chara sensed this, gathering Sans even more into a mental hug, ‘ _You will be. And I’ll be with you every single step of the way, helping you to be.’_ Chara thought, reading Sans’s mind by accident. _‘Because you’re not in this alone...Please don’t make the same mistakes I made. Don’t kick us out. That’s all I ask… but, I want you to let us in at your own pace. Okay?’_

'okay.' Sans responded, letting Chara hug him more. He knew that he needed to tell someone, to open up and let the others help, but it all felt so overwhelming and scary. The fact that everything he did, everything he said, would be permanent was both welcome and terrifying. What should he say? What should he do? How should he even explain all of this? What if he said something wrong and everyone hated him? What if they were so determined to protect him that they ended up suffocating him, acting like he was some fragile glass sculpture that had to be handled with only the greatest care. _What if they found out how much of a coward and a failure he was, how he could have saved them but didn't because he was too busy feeling sorry for himself?_

Sans tried to push the thought away and focus on Chara's comforting hug, and although he was successful, he knew that it would come back again.

Chara continued to mentally hug Sans, surrounded by both their loved ones as Chara thought back to his younger self, of the days he felt if he’d told the Dreemurrs how paranoid he was, they’d also treat him like such a fragile little thing. Or how afraid he was that one day, even the Dreemurrs might stop loving him and hate him the moment he did anything wrong. He thought about how alone he had felt back then, refusing for help even though he knew he needed it. And how he’d also felt that Asriel, Toriel and even Asgore would have pushed him away if he’d told them how he kept thinking Monsters were exactly the same as Human beings. All a bunch of fakers who’d only show they care and love, whenever it was convenient for them, or to keep up appearances.

Now he knew, however Monsters weren’t like that at all. And how he still felt that he did the right thing by running away that day, and that, despite it all. Falling into the Underground was _still_ one of the best decisions he’d ever made. And he related that feeling of his past to how Sans must have been feeling right now. And how he wished he could just take that away from him. That feeling of being alone and helpless to his situation.

Chara then imagined, Sans WAS in fact his younger self as he mentally hugged them tighter. “I’m never gonna let you feel alone again. No matter how hard you try and push me away.” Chara said firmly, not realizing he was speaking kind of outloud, accidentally taking control of Charans body as he spoke to his younger self/Sans whom he imagined he was holding. “Because, you’re a part of me now. I’m sorry for all the things you went through that made you think you’ll always be alone. Or the choices you had to make that hurt you now. Or..maybe even the times you might have felt that you were unworthy.”

“But, I want you to know you made those choices with all the knowledge and limited experience you had at the time. And even if you made mistakes, it’s okay. You did the best that you could with the best that you knew, but now just know you won’t have to make those choices ever again, Because I’m here now to take over if things get too scary. I will help look after us both from now on.”

“We’re in this together, okay? Never, ever forget that. I love you.”

"heh, i know kid. i know." Sans replied, snuggling into the hug even more, even sounding like he maybe somewhat believed their words.

“That was so beautifully spoken Char.” Asriel added, also holding them just a little tighter, snuggling closer. “And I also agree with him Sans. You have me now too. And Mom and Dad and other Dad, we’re never abandoning you no matter what. We’re your family now, and we always will be.”

“AND ME!! NYEHEHEH!!” Papyrus professed, wrapping his much longer arms around Asriel too, smooshing them both against his chest, he couldn’t help tearing up at Chara’s statement and how true it was, and how he’d always wanted to tell Sans that, but never really knowing how to word it properly and was just happy someone voiced it for him. “I’m Sorry I Wasn’t Strong Enough Back Then To Help Make It So Raising Me Was Much Easier For You. But Know No Matter What Choices You Had To Make To Keep Us Both Alive, I Don’t Hold Against You Brother. I Know You’re A Good Monster And I Love You Too!”

Chara blushed, when he realized they’d all heard what he said wanting to hide away, but found himself unable to as Papyrus gathered him and Azzy into a big old bear hug and grinned, happily. Meaning every word of that too, no matter how embarrassing.

Sans knew that they all meant what they were saying, but there was still a part of him that felt like they were only saying such things because they didn't know what he was like. What kind of a person he really was. But most of him wanted to believe them, to know that those words were true and they wouldn't leave, wouldn't hate him, even if they knew what he had or hadn't done.

"papyrus, it's okay. you were never too much trouble." He mumbled quietly, starting to seem tired again but also not wanting to go back to sleep, at least not yet.

“I Guess. But, Still, You Were Practically Still A Child Yourself. It Couldn’t Have Been That Much Easier. And I’m Sorry.”

Chara could sense Sans was getting tired and trying to fight it. “Do you...want to get some fresh air? Sometimes, opening a window or even just stepping outside, helps me clear my head. Maybe you can...show us some constellations?” Chara offered, knowing Sans loved the stars and such. Wanting to do something Sans enjoyed, to help make it easier for him to hopefully fall asleep again a little more deeply if he focused on something he liked.

“Yeah! If you want that is.” Asriel also offered.

"doing some star gazing does sound nice." Sans replied. "but only if you want to. i don't want to keep you up longer than necessary."

“Of course I do. Why do you think I asked in the first place silly bones?” Chara chuckled. “Hopefully Mom won’t be awake and they fell asleep again… I’m sure Mom would tell us to go back to bed.”

“Haha, yeah.” Asriel nodded. “So, are we doing this then?”

"yes, i don't see any reason not to, if you guys are okay with it, since i don't really feel like going back to bed just yet." Sans replied, shivering a little as he remembered his nightmare again.

Chara mentally hugged him again, hoping to chase away the memories of the horrible dream. “Okay then. Let’s sneak out quietly. We’re just gonna go to the front door and sit there or something and you can tell us all about the stars and stuff.” 

“Sounds Like A Wonderful Plan!” Papyrus explained, just happy to be trying to help Sans as well, as Charans led the way. Chara gently took control of their hybrid body, followed by Azzy and Papyrus.

As carefully as he could, Charans turned the handle on the doorknob and jolted slightly, noticing the leg of one of the chairs just outside the door, not really blocking the frame but just sorta there, out and in the hallway. And sitting on top of it, or rather, _sleeping_ on it was Gaster. Charans then turned to the others, shushing them.

Asriel looked a little confused, but as he poked his head out of the door frame, he saw what Charans had meant, followed by Paps.

"he must have been woken up when i started screaming." Sans said quietly. "maybe he decided that you guys could handle it, which is why he didn't actually come in."

“Yeah maybe.” Chara said, feeling somewhat comforted that there was such a strong monster watching over them. “Least he was able to sleep again, luckily.” Chara whispered, watching Gaster for a moment more and mouths he’s sorry to him, before continuing to sneak past and head for the stairs, as Papyrus gently shut the door again so if Gaster woke up again, hopefully he’d just think they were still inside and had gone to sleep and wouldn’t panic when they see they’d gone missing.

The three of them then approached Toriel's room, which was nearby.

"do you think she's awake?" Sans whispered to the others.

“Ummm…” Chara wondered, waiting a second to hear anything from her room. After about 20 seconds he sighed, “No. I don’t hear anything. Maybe she’s asleep too.”

Toriel, however, was still very much awake, her worry for the kids forcing her awake. As, even though she knew Gaster could handle it on his own, part of her made her stay awake just to be absolutely sure. Hearing Charans whispering on the other side however, seemed to calm her nerves. Noticing they sounded much calmer she let out a breath of relief. Still, she kept her magic in steady control so that they wouldn’t be able to sense it listening close.

“Come on. I don’t want Mom to wake up and freak out.” Chara whispered, quietly making his way to the front door. Slowly he opened it and got out to the porch as the others followed.

Sans looked around at the space outside of their house, happily taking in the cool night air as he sat down on the porch. Despite the fact that darkness was often associated with danger and evil, Sans actually had very little fear of this natural darkness, and in fact even somewhat enjoyed the way that everything was gently lit by the light reflecting off of the moon, along with the occasional light from a house or car.

"maybe it's because i can see better in the dark than a human can." Sans mumbled to himself, thinking out loud, before his gaze drifted over to the flower beds that ran around the house. "hey chara, could you please remind me to tell asgore that i love what he's done with these flowers when he wakes up?" He continued quietly, trying to distract himself from the creature that had been haunting his dreams and his worries about if it might still be waiting for him to fall asleep again.

“Haha sure, I love what he’s done as well. It feels a lot more..Homier. I think that’s the word?” Chara thought a moment, also enjoying the view as he tried to see it the way Sans could. Or how their shared little eye lights, also added a tinge of color to everything. “I hope he wakes up soon, no one knows how to take care of these flowers the way he could. Well, except maybe Azzy.” Chara said, poking fun at his brother and because he used to be Flowey. Not to be mean though.

“Hey! Well, maybe.. I should help water them while they wait for Dad I guess.” Asriel thought, thinking how sad it would be if Asgore woke up and all the plants had died off cuz he wasn’t there to look after them, pouting.

Sans turned his attention up towards the sky and part of the reason why they had come out here in the first place. The stars. Thousands of beautiful lights that were glittering in the sky, it was hard for Sans to describe exactly how happy being able to see them made him. He'd always loved stars, for reasons he couldn't really explain. He remembered how back when he was young, he'd spend hours pouring over any readable astronomy books that fell down from the surface, or staring at the sparkling rocks that were set into the ceiling of many of the caverns in waterfall looking for and naming his own constellations and dreaming of the day when he'd finally see the real thing. And even though he'd had an interest in most sciences, his love of astronomy had always been the strongest.

Chara could feel their soul warm a bit, in response to the happy feeling Sans was feeling, and he felt proud, knowing he’d done the right thing to take him out like this. Knowing how much Sans appreciated it, he could feel the happy feeling starting to get contagious, as Chara smiled too, one eye turning red so they both could share control and enjoy the stars. Chara let Sans control the whole left side of their combined body as he took the right side.

Papyrus and Asriel moved to sit beside them as well, the warmth of happiness from Charan's Godsoul seemed to have also spread to the two monsters on either side of the hybrid as they were smiling, more than usual. “So, Sans, what’s your favorite constellation anyways?” Asriel asked, intrigued.

Sans searched the sky for a little bit, then, with a quiet call of, "there," pointed at a vaguely fork-shaped constellation. "this one is one of my favorites, but that's partly because of what it's called. you wanna guess what it is?" Sans asked, an amused smile appearing on his face.

“Uuh, the Big Fork?” Chara guessed.

“Forky way?” Asriel added.

Papyrus just shrugged, leaning his skull against Charans head a little tiredly, but happy. “I DON’T KNOW, BROTHER. WHAT IS IT CALLED?”

"well, chara was pretty close. it's called the large fork. unfortunately, no one has found the small fork yet." Sans answered, a slight tone of amusement creeping into his voice. 

“Heh there’s a smaller fork?” Chara asked, his half of their face smiling too as he now took on the challenge of trying to find it.

Asriel and Paps decided to join in also, making it a sort of mini race between them all trying to find it.

Sans chuckled quietly before replying. "i admire your enthusiasm, but i said that no one has found the small fork. there might not even be a small fork."

“But what if there is? I’m going to be the first to find it!” Chara smirked. “I am determined!”

“Not if I find it first bro!!”

“NO, ME!! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL NEVER LOSE!! NYEHEHEH!!”

“Oh, you’re on!” Chara laughed, trying harder now to find it before his siblings could, focusing hard trying to find anything that resembled a fork in the night sky.

Sans happily watched the others searched for a few minutes before quietly slipping into a state that was sort of halfway between being awake and asleep, as Charans' left socket slowly fluttered closed.

After nearly an hour of searching the sky, Chara finally noticed something that looked like a tinier version of the Large fork and as gently as he could, so not to freak out Sans and get pushed out again, he woke up Sans pointing with the arm he could control. “Hey, Sans. I think I found it! There!” He said excitedly, even tracing its shape with his finger.

"hmm, whatisit?" Sans mumbled sleepy as he looked at where Chara was pointing. "oh, you found it. good job. maybe there's a space agency that you can tell. or maybe they already know about it." 

“Ummm, maybe I could tell Gaster? He might know some. Haha. Or something- I hope not. I found it first!”

Asriel turned to Charans, “Aw man. I couldn’t even find it!” He also said, kinda groggily, starting to fall asleep too as his eyes burned a little from looking for so long.

“Heh, i don’t know. That was fun though.” Chara said as he yawned a little.

Sans nodded silently and yawned as well, though he still seemed reluctant to sleep, instead content to fall back into a half awake half asleep state, the fusion's left eye socket closing again.

Chara tried to think what else they could do to help Sans relax more and let him know things would be okay. Not really having any ideas since he was also starting to get tired, but still, he was just as reluctant, especially since Sans still seemed to be in need of help, his determination overpowering the need to sleep in the meantime.

Papyrus merely snuggled closer to the fusion. “Any other constellations you know brother?”

Sans tiredly mumbled a few incoherent words, then spoke a little louder but still tiredly. "well, there's also a little shell shaped one. i like that one as well. i think it's pretty." He seemed to be starting to drift off to sleep as well, this conversation helping to relax him.

“Oh?” Asriel was the one to speak this time searching the sky for it.

Paps pointed this time as he did his best. Used to not sleeping much anyways and completely awake, just calmer, he traced the shape with his own phalanges. “Oh, I think I See it! It’s That One, Right Bro?” 

Sans slowly opened his shared body's left eye socket and looked over at where his brother was pointing. "yeah, thasit bro." He mumbled.

Then there was the sound of footsteps behind them, followed by the front door opening.

Papyrus looked over his shoulder along with Asriel to see who was at the door, since both Chara and Sans were in the middle of being half awake and asleep, Chara mostly running on his determination by this point to stay awake and help Sans.

They saw Gaster standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Oh, uh, howdy Skeledad.” Asriel said, in greeting. “Sorry, did we wake you?”

"No, prince Dreemurr." Gaster replied, slowly walking to sit next to Charans, before gently pulling the fusion into a hug. "I just woke up again and realized that you weren't in Asgore's room anymore. So, I thought I would come find you and I had a feeling that you'd be out here."

Sans seemed glad that Gaster was here as well, tiredly snuggling into his father's arms.

Chara was barely half awake to even notice someone else had joined them, running on fumes and DT and even those were starting to fail him as he groggily wondered what was going on. “Mm..? Oh….g-greetin’s ..bonedad.” Chara slurred a little trying to wake up more, as he knew he was being a bit rude, forcing more DT to wake himself up. “Don’ tell me you’ve been havin’ nightmares too?” Chara then asked, though he was half joking.

Asriel smiled, “Oh, that’s good. Sorry if we scared you when you realized we weren’t there. We’re trying to help Sans to stay calm and relaxed after his nightmare, Cha thought letting him see the stars he loved so much might help.”

“Yeah, We Found The Little Fork And Shell Shaped Const-Constarlashun? Nyeeeeeeeeeh, That thing!” Papyrus replied, pointing up at the shell shaped one he’d found as Asriel pointed to the Little Fork constellation.

"It's fine prince Dreemurr. I assumed that's what you were doing." Gaster replied, before looking over at Papyrus, still not looking him in the eye sockets. "Good job Papyrus." He continued quietly. "They're called constellations."

“Oh, Yes Indeed.” Papyrus frowned a little, wishing Gaster wouldn’t do that. He thought about talking to him about it for a moment, hesitating a little.

After nearly half a minute of silence, Papyrus opened his mouth, “Um...Hey...G...You...Know I Don’t Hate You For That, RIght?"

Gaster stiffened at this and looked over at Papyrus. "Why not? I almost killed you, just so that I could avenge someone that wasn't even dead. It must have felt like I didn't care about you, _didn't love you_ , as much as Sans." He said quietly.

“Dad… I Know You Didn’t Mean To Do That. You Were Hurting Inside. And I Thought He Was Gone Too, Ya Know? I Know You Never Meant To Hurt Me. You Just Didn’t Know What You Were Doing, And You Were Just So Angry, And In So Much Pain, That It Blinded You. I Forgive You. You’re A Good Guy, Dad. I Know That Better Than Anyone.” Papyrus made a small smile, feeling a little awkward, but he continued. “You Were Just Trying To Protect Us All And Make Sure She Wouldn’t Hurt Anyone Else. So, Anyways, I Just Wanted To Let You Know. I Just Hope You Can Forgive Yourself Too. I Love You.”

Gaster and gave Papyrus a small smile, then suddenly pulled him into the hug. "I know you do, though I don't think I'll ever understand how you can forgive people so quickly. I love you too, even though I might have done some things that made it seem like I didn't, or that made you feel like I thought you were dumb or weak."

Sans was content to just listen to the others talk, having already drifted back into being half awake and half asleep for the third time that night.

Papyrus let out a yelp, startled when Gaster had suddenly pulled him into the hug, after a moment and letting Gaster say his piece, he wrapped his long arms around his father, also gathering Charans into it as well. “Even If You Did, You Are Forgiven. Nyeheheh! I Just Want You To Forgive Yourself Too, For Everything. Even If You’ve Done Something Bad, You Can Always Choose To Still Do Good Dad. I Believe Anyone Can Be Good, If They Just Try. And I Think You Do Try. Every Day, That’s Why I Can’t Ever Get Myself To Hate You Dad. Because I Know You’re Good.”

Chara stayed quiet, letting the Skellies have their moment, though he couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky everyone was to have Papyrus around. Nor stop mentally applauding sans for doing such a good job raising pappy into the monster that he was even if he was such a goofball sometimes.

Chara made a mental reminder to never, EVER take Paps for granted. He thought, since it always seemed like he always knew the right thing to say, and was glad they were making up.

Gaster nodded silently and then gently nuzzled Papyrus, also very grateful to have Papyrus around. "I know, Papyrus. I know." He said quietly.

“I Hope So. Cuz I WILL Tell You Everyday Until It sticks! Nyeheheh!” Papyrus smiled nuzzling also.

Gaster chuckled quietly at this and nuzzled Papyrus again. "I know you'll do that as well." He said tiredly.

Papyrus smiled happily, mostly because his father was talking to him again and he wasn't being ignored anymore. Happy to have accomplished something good tonight, even though he knew for certain everyone would be quite tired when morning comes. He himself was used to this. Usually only sleeping for minutes on some nights. “Lady Tori will be so mad at us..hehe..”

“You got that right.. But, it was for a noble cause.” Asriel agreed, “she’ll understand.”

Gaster nodded tiredly and nuzzled both Papyrus and Charans some more.

Chara mentally poked Sans gently, “How are you feeling now bud? Still scared those nightmares will return again?” He asked, checking up on him.

Sans hesitated, then mumbled back tiredly, "yeah, i am."

“Still?” Chara frowned wondering what else he could do to put Sans at ease. _Was his nightmare worse than I thought…?_

"i-it felt so real." Sans mumbled back, sensing Chara's concern.

“What...happened? What happened in it that got you so freaked out? I mean, I know you didn’t want to talk about it earlier..but, maybe talking might help? Or, you can just show me the memories if it helps make it easier.” Chara asked, carefully. Really concerned now for his soul roommate.

Sans hesitated again for several minutes, before Chara suddenly managed to catch a few glimpses of memories of Sans' nightmare.

Chara was surprised at first, not really at all expecting for Sans to open up, but was all the more grateful for it. He made sure to catch every detail of the nightmare as he knew for certain, Sans would not show him a second time most likely.

Chara saw the Judgement Hall, then some weird fusion of...himself and...Betty?! _Okay...why would I fuse with that Demon? Dreams are weird…_ Chara thought, watching the memories, seeing Sans fighting against it valiantly but also noticing how it never took any damage, no matter what Sans threw at the demon fusion. _What the crap?! Okay that’s just cheating, screw you betty/nightmare me! I wanna beat up that version of me for being a jerk!_ Chara thought angrily. 

He saw as still the demon didn’t take damage and then puzzled at what the nightmare fusion was talking about as Chara was also just as confused. He continued watching as when Sans had tried to escape the Hall and the door vanished and how things went downhill from there, as Chara could only imagine the panic and despair Sans was feeling in that moment, seeing the fusion transform into a literal demon.

He watched as Sans released his true Special Attack. Giving the demon everything he had, and Chara hoped it worked, cheering Sans on, and gasping when the demon just walked out of it like nothing even happened.

Then he heard himself _Okay wait- now I’m a good guy?! But- wh- huh???_

Then he watched as Sans was grabbed, and the demon saying even more weird crap and then the slash and then-

Charans was then jolted from the memories, also looking just as freaked out about it as Sans did when he woke up, breathing heavily through his half of the hybrid's body as Chara accidentally took control again. 

Chara spoke to Sans again, being careful this time now to not take over the hybrid's body, as he was unsure if Sans was okay with everyone else knowing just yet, “O-Okay...yeah...now I understand. I mean, Jeez. Dude.. What the hell- I-” Chara stumbled on his own words, not even sure how to process all that. But he was definitely sympathetic for why Sans had freaked and even kicked his soul out. “Sans...I’m sorry…” was all he could say at that moment. 

"'is fine. wasn't your fault." Sans mumbled back, shivering again.

“Yeah but..stars- I don’t think I’d be able to sleep again either if I dreamed something like that. An enemy you couldn’t hurt? Wh-” Chara thought about that Betty/Chara fusion again, getting angry just even thinking about Betty and all the stuff she put everyone through, and what she was STILL putting everyone through even though she was dead. “I only wish I coulda been there with you in your dreams somehow, maybe it might have made it so much easier to deal with. I don’t know. But, what the heck was that...What was Bara even talking about? I never went on a murderous rampage. Least..none that I can remember. I mean besides the one I WANTED to go on against the Humans in Asriel's body heh.”

Chara said out loud, then realized Sans didn’t know about that yet, “Ah, sorry….Long story. But, I was dead. How could I have helped anyone go on some murderous rampage on all the Monsters? I LIKE the Monsters. It’s the humans that I hate. Heck...sometimes I wanna murder my own body, I hate the fact I’m a part of their race...Sometimes, I wish I was born a Monster instead.” 

"maybe that thing was lying. it was very good at that, and good at manipulating people. or maybe it was my mind's weird way of sort of personifying the fear that a human would go on a rampage. i mean, i'd be lying if i said that i wasn't afraid that some human would decide to come down into the underground and finish us off." Sans replied, giving Chara a mental hug. "and please try not to hate yourself for being human. not all humans are bad, and hey, if you hadn’t been human, you wouldn't have been able to save me."

Chara gave a small smile and a mental hug back, “Yeah...that’s true. But, a good majority of them are. Through and through. I would never hurt any of the Monsters. Even if I COULD Reset again. I’d sooner stop somebody else from doing that than do it myself. After all...it was also Monsters that saved ME. Back then I mean.” Chara thought for a moment, as he was still unsure how to help Sans sleep, more understanding why he was so freaked out now and so hesitant. 

Chara thought about, since Sans opened up to him even a little bit, if he should allow Sans a peek of what happened, suddenly a part of him wondering if Sans believed he WOULD go and kill all the Monsters, and Chara wanted to make sure Sans knew he wasn’t like that. “Sans..since,..you opened up to me.. I wanna, show you. What happened. Before I died. And Asriel too. As a thank you, for trusting me.”

"is asriel okay with you showing me this? since it involves him as well." Sans replied.

Chara hesitated a moment, since he’d never even asked Asriel about it yet, “Um. Give me a moment.” Chara sighed as he gently took control of Charans again, focusing his attention to Azzy again. “Um, hey, Az. So Long story but..I want to show Sans the reason for why we both died that day. It’s to help him with his nightmare I promise! Sorta. I’ll explain later. If Sans says it’s fine. Okay bro? I promise.”

“H-Huh?” Azzy asked, looking confused and alarmed. And sleepy. Very sleepy. “Wait. How would that help him-? What happened Cha?”

“I told you. Long story. But, I wanna know if it’s okay. Since you're in those memories too.”

“I mean….I guess? I told you I’d never doubt you Cha.. And I still don’t. If...If you think it would help. Then, go for it. I guess.” Asriel told him, though still looking incredibly confused. But he believed in Chara. And if he thought it would help, then who was Asriel to stop him? Right?

“Thanks Bro. Alright, Sans. He said it’s fine.”

"yeah, i heard." Sans mumbled back.

Chara nodded, then hesitated again not wanting to make Sans even more traumatized then he most definitely already was, but also he still didn’t want to risk any misunderstandings between them or have Sans be constantly paranoid he could snap and actually go back to trying to find a way to reset and make everyone suffer too. And he sucked a breath knowing it was just as traumatizing for himself too but, after seeing Sans' nightmare, he finally decided.

Then, as gently as he could, so not to startle Sans and slowly ease him into it, he allowed for Sans to see into his own memories. Starting from when he and Azzy decided to make Asgore a Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie for his birthday, a happier setting with a happy family should be safe enough right? 


	4. Nightmares (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 continues with Chara sharing a bit of their own history with the Dreemurrs in order to better understand their new roommate they are now sharing SOULs and a body with.  
> Sans and Chara come to a much better understanding of one another as Chara continues trying to coax Sans into opening up, as well as to comfort him from his current traumas due to everything that Betty had done to him.

Then, as gently as he could, so not to startle Sans and slowly ease him into it, he allowed for Sans to see into his own memories. Starting from when he and Azzy decided to make Asgore a Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie for his birthday, a happier setting with a happy family should be safe enough right? 

_“Hey Azzy, you got the Cimmanonam right?” a much younger looking Chara called out as Asriel pulled out the container of it from one of the many drawers and climbed up on the stepstool._

_“Got it! And it’s pronounced ‘Cinnamon’ Char!” Asriel laughed then looked over the Recipe Book, Toriel had written for the children when they bugged her for hours on end the day before. The two were so excited to make something for the King for once, him having always done everything for the kids himself._

_“Okay, okay. How many cups does it say we need again?” Chara asked, getting the measuring spoons out._

_“Umm, it says 2 ‘T S P.’ I think that’s 2 teaspoons.” Asriel suggested, and Chara nodded getting the one labelled ‘1tsp’ out._

_Chara got the 2 teaspoons and poured it into the big bowl with all their other ingredients mixed in, Toriel was in the kitchen too, just to ensure the kids wouldn’t accidentally cut themselves especially when it came to the knives, and to wash the dishes as they were finished with them. But for the most part, she left all the cooking to the kids. Since they wouldn’t stop insisting they wouldn’t need help and could bake the pie themselves._

_In the large bowl the milk, heavy cream, brown sugar water, cornstarch and egg yolks were already mixed together. Most of the ingredients they had to use substitutes for as not all of them were readily available here in the Underground but still they made due. Now only 3 ingredients were still missing: the whipped cream which most likely they may have had to make due without, baked pie shell (which Toriel suggested they could use snail shells or something like it.) and finally- the cups of butter._

_2 of the ingredients were already there in the kitchen. Only needing to be cut in the right amount, divided and put in the bowl._

_As for the butter…_

_“Wait..”¼ cups of butter...like, buttercups? The flowers?” Asriel puzzled, reading and re-reading the recipe page Toriel made for them both._

_“I don’t know Azzy, you can read that language better than me still. Haha. What do you think bro?” Chara asked, innocently._

_“Ummmm….I think it means Buttercups! I know where those are. Dad has some planting in the garden!” Azzy said happily, hopping off the stool and running for the door. “Mom! I’m just going outside for a sec!!” He called out to Toriel, opening the front door and picking one of the golden flowers from one of the window sills, Asgore built for his plants then paused. “Wait, what does ¼ means? Like- 1 stem, 4 petals? Or.. 4 flowers, 1 stem?”_

_Asriel thought long and hard, then decided to play it safe, picking 4 of the golden flowers, before closing and locking the door again and heading back to the kitchen. “Okay, I’m back!”_

_“Haha, you got the buttercups bro?” Chara asked._

_“Yup! I wasn’t sure what the ¼ part meant. So I grabbed 4 of the flowers!”_

_“Hmmm…” Now it was Chara’s turn to puzzle over the measurement, also confused. “Maybe...4 stems. 1 petal? 1 stem, and 4 petals?”_

_“Maybe...we can just put all 4 flowers in and hope for the best? 4 flowers, 1 bowl?” Asriel suggested, as he was getting bored thinking about the measuring more. “I wanna mix it all up already!!”_

_“Fine, haha. I guess 4 flowers, 1 bowl makes sense. I think?” Chara said as he leaned over the sink, rinsing the dirt and stuff off the flowers before just plopping them in whole into the bowl. “MOM!!! Where’s the mixing spoon?!” Chara yelled, seeing Toriel was in the living room, setting up the tables and chairs._

Chara can feel Sans basically cringing in the present, wishing that he could tell the children that they were making a huge mistake.

_“In the drawer! With all the other utensils, my child!” Toriel called back._

_“Thank you!”_

_Before Chara could open the drawer, Asriel had beaten them to it, reaching in and grabbing the biggest one, that usually Asgore used. “MWAHAHA!!” Asriel laughed, diabolically._

_“Hey!” Chara laughed too, grabbing the second largest one belonging to Toriel._

_Together, they began to mix the bowl as Asriel read the recipe page again. Reading that the batter has to be thick but not lumpy._

_After both of them mixed for a solid 3 minutes by hand, it was now officially ready for the pot and oven. Though, also by the end, they had batter all over their clothes and Azzys fur since the two had a little too much fun stirring. But a good majority of it still remained in the bowl for a decently sized Pie._

_“Mom! The batter is done!” Asriel was the one to call out, stepping down the step stool and pushing it aside so Toriel could join them and inspect it and prep the oven. Not wanting to risk the children burning themselves._

_“Oh, you two are so dirty!” Toriel said, seeing the mess they made in the Kitchen, and how some cinnamon powder and egg shells and so on was scattered all over the counter._

_“Yeahhhh but we made the batter exactly like you told us to!” Chara said this time, looking quite proud of himself._

_“Hmmm I suppose. You two did pretty well, I’m proud of you both.” Toriel told them both gently, “Go get washed up, your father will be returning home soon from the Castle.”_

_“Okay!” Chara and Asriel said before going to...wherever they went to when they needed a bath._

_Toriel in the meantime, used Fire Magic instead of turning on the oven to cook the Pie._

_About an hour later, King Asgore finally returned home, walking in the door, only to be attacked by hugs from his two sons who both leapt up at him, glomping him. “Oho! Howdy my children!” Asgore said, with a smile on his face as he wrapped up both Chara and Asriel into a hug affectionately._

_Asriel pretty much looked like a white cotton ball, after Chara had a bit of fun with the hairdryer Toriel had gotten from Dr. Gaster who’d found it in the Dump months before, trying to help Azzy dry off his fur, and ending up frizzing it up. Chara looked normal but was also sporting pretty much an afro when Azzy had done the same to him as revenge._

Sans laughed quietly at this, making a mental note to use a hairdryer on Asriel sometime.

_“Happy Birthday King Dad!”_

_“Happy Birthday Mr. Dad Guy!”_

_Both kids cried out happily, cuddling as Asgore continued to carry his children._

_“Oh, you remembered. Thank you.” Asgore smiled, as happy as he could be at that moment. Sniffing the air, he could smell the pie as Toriel took it out to cool down. “Honey? What is that smell?” Asgore asked, walking to the kitchen after setting both Chara and Asriel to sit over his shoulders as the kids clung to his horns so as not to fall off. Both boys grinning from ear to ear happily when they could see the Pie from their higher perch. Proud of what they’d made and the fact it actually LOOKED like a Pie too._

_“Surprise Gorey! The kids baked it.” Toriel informed. Showing Asgore the Pie._

_“Oh, you two made this?” Asgore asked, looking up slightly at Chara and Azzy and they both nodded._

_“You should have heard them yesterday. They would NOT stop asking me if I’d allow them to bake this all by themselves, They wanted to surprise you, since you’ve done so much for us and for our Kingdom.”_

_“Oh, you two didn’t have to do that.”_

_“We did because we wanted to!” Chara gleefully announced._

_“Uh huh, and cuz your the bestest King ever! And the best Dad in the whole world!” Asriel also admitted._

_“Oh am I?” Asgore smiled, reaching a hand up to each of them, lightly tickling their bellies as his sons giggled trying to push his big ol’ paws away._

_“Hahaha! STOP!!” They both laughed._

_“Alright, Hun, put your robe away and go wash your hands then we can all have dinner together.” Toriel scolded slightly, though she too was chuckling. Watching her boys, she couldn’t dream she could be any happier than this day._

_“Okay Tori.” Asgore said in a loving manner, as Toriel set the Pie on the table, and he leaned down slightly, kissing her on the forehead, one hand holding the children to ensure they wouldn’t slip off._

_“EWWWW” Both Chara and Asriel said, like any typical child whenever they saw their parents being romantic in front of them._

_Toriel smiled, returning the kiss, before reaching up to grab Azzy and Chara off of Asgore's shoulders and put them in their proper seating arrangements, then went to sit as well waiting for Asgore to return._

_Asgore went to his bedroom, putting away his robes and crown and went to clean his hands, and came back a minute later seeing his family already at the table._

Sans seemed to enjoy watching this, though he also seemed sad that such a wedge had formed between Asgore and Toriel.

Chara smiled, sensing the bitter happy feeling, though overall, happy energy coming off Sans soul, that he almost felt bad for what was to happen next, also sharing the same feelings as well about how Asgore and Toriel were treating each other now.

_Toriel and Asgore both helped in serving the same even amount of slices out. And Asgore was the first to take the first bite._

_At first, everything was normal. Loving family of 4, enjoying a nice family meal and each other's company. Absolutely picture perfect. Like a portrait, it seemed this day was almost a little….too perfect._

_Then, it happened._

_A choking sound rang out in the quiet, happy home. An alarmed family of 3, each collectively turning their heads, seeing as one of their own seemed to be having trouble bringing it down. The struggle for breath, the frantic pulses of magic spewing out, more choking and gagging, a call for help._

_Asgore collapsed. The chair fell back and he was unconscious._

_Screams rang out around the house, Toriel telling the children to go find a Monster that knew healing magic as she cared for her downed Husband._ _  
_ _Chara and Asriel running out of New Home faster than they’d both ran before, tears practically streaming down Asriel's cheeks. An overwhelming amount of guilt fills Chara's soul and body, like a dam ready to burst open._

_They entered the Castle first, only finding to see everyone had gone home as well, they then ran to Hotland, and found a Monster there willing to help the King. They brought him to New Home. Both children and Toriel feared the worst that Asgore had Fallen Down. Luckily he didn’t, they were informed._

_Several hours passed, as the Monster looked over what was wrong and finally, confirmation._

_It was the Buttercup Flowers that did it. The Monster had found a whole stem stuck in Asgore's throat, and informed the family he’d need bed rest for at least a week, with a visit from the doctor once a day to make sure there were no more toxins left in his body._

_Toriel waited a whole day before she questioned the children. Probably in too much shock, as a result from the scare. Chara informed Asriel not to tell their mother, and to just make an excuse if she asked them, to which Asriel agreed at first._

_The day later, she indeed questions them, speaking to Chara first in private, as Asriel listened from the next room, standing in the doorway as Chara laughed his way out of the lie. That perhaps Asgore had the flower stuck in his fur and didn't wash himself well enough and it just so happened to get mixed in the food, he’d said. Smiling. Hiding the pain and overwhelming guilt of what they’d done._

Sans immediately gave Chara a big mental hug, sensing that this was something that they still carried a lot of guilt about.

Chara accepted the hug, not saying much as he mentally kicked himself for being so stupid back then.

_Then it was Asriel's turn as well to be questioned. He pretty much said the same lie Chara did, only unsuccessful as he could not stop the tears from spilling out once he started which more or less gave them both away. However, Toriel never chose to bring it up for some reason._

* * *

_Several months later, Asgore was back to perfect health, and the kids were pretty much never trusted into the kitchen again. Least not til they were a little older anyways, maybe._

_Asriel and Chara were hanging around near the Dump, having both found a camera there and were using it to take pictures of each other making funny faces._

_“Hey...remember that time we tried making a Pie for Dad?” Chara brought up suddenly, when Asriel had left the lens cap on, after making Chara make his “creepy face” as revenge for him doing the same thing before too._

_“Huh? ….OH! Yeah, when we got the Buttercups and Cups of Butter recipe mixed up, right?” Asriel asked. To which Chara simply nodded._

_Happy energy gone._

_“I should have laughed it off, the way you did Cha…” Asriel pouted, his floppy ears looking even more droopier than ever. “Mom was so mad at us. I felt so bad… We really messed up, didn’t we? Even though she didn’t say anything about it, but..I could tell. But um, why did you bring that up Cha?” Asriel tilted his head slightly, confused._

_“...I think...I may have a plan that will free us all.” Chara said simply, not looking at Asriel and messing around with some random piece of plastic he’d found. “And it involves using the Buttercups from the Pie Incident.”_

_“Huh?” Asriel questioned, now even more confused. “Wait, I don’t get-?”_

_“You need a Human Soul to get through the Barrier right?” Chara continued, “Well...I have a Human Soul. Right here.” Chara said summoning out his red one in front of Asriel to see, after finally learning how to do that, by watching the monsters do it, without the need to go into battle to see it. “We can use MY SOUL Az.”_

_“B-But- It won’t b-break the barrier just-”_

_“I know Az, That’s why I’m telling YOU this. And, only you. Because…” Chara hesitated a moment as he sucked in a breath before continuing, “I mean...we don’t know if we’ll ever get another human to fall down here. We might not get another chance at this. Humans only live for so long anyways, and...well…” Chara swallowed, still holding his SOUL in his hands before he turned back to face his adopted sibling. ”Azzy, I want YOU to be the one to absorb my SOUL and free everyone!”_

_Asriel gasped, mouth hanging open, not expecting that. “Ch-Chara…! I-”_

_“You’ve always said, you wanted to be a good King some day, when eventually YOU get the Throne! So, this’ll show Dad you’re ready for it, you won’t even have to do anything to kill me. I just need those buttercups like, when we baked Dad that Pie. And, I can just...you know. End myself. It’s my choice, right? It’ll be easy, and eventually, when I’m...gone. You can take my SOUL, cross the Barrier and go to the Surface. Gather 6 more Human SOULs and BOOM! Goodbye Barrier!”_

_“I...Chara, I don’t know…” Asriel hesitated._

_“Please, I don’t...I don’t want to kill any Monsters.” Chara said, his shoulders shaking. As he stared back down at his own red soul, almost seeming disgusted.“It’s either that or...this. I’d rather choose my own destiny, and I think, this is mine. It must be why I’m down here, and, I’d rather, my best friend and brother be the one to handle my SOUL.”_

_“You were the one who found me Az, and took care of me when I was injured, and we’ve been together ever since. You’re the only one I can trust with my plan. Together, we can save the Monsters from this hellhole. You deserve to be up on the Surface with everyone! Please…”_

_“I…” Asriel hesitated, looking at Chara first, in the eyes and then also down at their red soul, as if sensing his determination from it. Asriel thought about it for at least 5 minutes before, finally, he looked back up at his sibling looking just as determined as Chara. “A...Alright. I’ll help you, in any way I can. If...If you think this is the right thing to do. Then we’ll do it. Together.”_

_Chara smiled at him, “I knew I could always count on you.”_

_“Of course, I’d never doubt you Chara. You’re my best friend.”_

_“And you’re mine.”_

_And maybe now, I can pay you all back this way finally for letting me into your lives..._

Despite how tired Sans was, he seemed to be figuring out where this was going and he mentally hugged Chara again, almost seeming like he wished that he could somehow talk to their younger self and convince them to find another way. Gaster, meanwhile, had fallen asleep leaning against Papyrus.

Papyrus had also happily fallen asleep, he was so comfy resting against his father, unable to help it.

_A few days later, Asriel had successfully managed to sneak away with as many buttercups as he could from their Dads garden. Asriel helped in secretly grinding the little flowers, mincing them into near-dust and, when Tori or Asgore weren’t looking, sprinkling them in Chara’s food and drink and always ensuring he’d be the one filling Charas plate to sneak in the ground flowers when he got the chance._

_At the table, Chara did his best to hide the uncomfortable feeling from their parents. As he didn’t want them to suspect anything and ruin the plan._

_About 2 weeks passed of this, and eventually it got to the point where Chara would have to be bedridden. Monsters came and went to check on their human prince, but thanks to Asriel's careful grinding, they never could detect the toxins in Charas body. And everyday, Asriel continued to mix the flowers that he helped feed to Chara._

_One month since the announcement of the plan._

_“I...I don’t think I like this idea anymore, Char.” Asriel said one day, when their parents weren’t home. Toriel was busy getting groceries from Gersons, while Asgore was out in the garden planting and watering as always. Asriel was by Charas bed, kneeling, both hands gently holding Charas own who was pretty much at this point at Deaths’ door._

_“I...th-thought..you said….you w-wouldn’t doubt me…” Chara replied to them, weakly. Doing his best to look slightly angry at Asriel. They’d come so close. Maybe, just one more day and Asriel could absorb his SOUL and continue with the plan._

_“Wh-What? No..I’m n-not doubting you!! I-I just…” Asriel hesitated biting his lip. ‘I just don’t like seeing you suffering…’ Asriel thought but he didn’t say aloud. He sniffled fighting back tears, as he could only imagine the amount of pain Chara was currently putting themselves through to ensure the monster's freedom._

_Chara seemed to mouth something, calling Asriel a crybaby. Their trademark nickname for Asriel cuz of how sensitive he was. It was meant in a teasing, affectionate sorta way, like how Sans would tease Papyrus with his puns._

_“I-I’m not crying!! ….B-Big kids don’t cry.” Asriel argued, hating the nickname as he rubbed his face on his sleeve, the other still holding on tight to Charas’ hand._

_“Yo...u’re...going to..be a..g-great king...so-someday..” Chara told him, trying to comfort their brother, though he could barely speak as everything hurt so much._

_“Yeah...I wi-will be..” Asriel whispered, still holding Chara’s hand, trying to will the warmth back into their skin through his paws._

_“A..And..d..you’ll..b-be strong...f-for me…”_

_Asriel started to sniffle more, nodding fervently, “Yeah, we’ll be super st-strong…!!” Asriel started to sob, hating this so much. Hating seeing their brother in so much pain. Hating they were given such an impossible choice, and that Chara had made that choice for them all. Hating they were trapped behind a Barrier and that everyone was so sad all the time and suffering and-_

_“W-We’ll free everyone t-together…! I know..” Asriel sobbed more, hiccupping between words. Not wanting to let go yet. He still had so much he wanted to do with Chara. So much more he wanted to say to them…_

_‘Don’t leave me…’_

_“O...one..m-more...day..” Chara whispered, knowing their end was soon._

_“....I’ll get more of the flowers…”_

_The next day._

_“Chara...Can you still hear me…? We need you to wake up.” Toriel's voice called out._

_“Chara!! You have to stay Determined! Please my son...You are the Future of Humans and Monsters...Please, wake up…” Asgore's voice called this time._

_“....”_

_Asriel waited for quite some time for the doctors and everyone to leave the room. Waiting until they were just out of earshot before he bent down over Charas ear. “Psst...Chara..? Please...wake up...I REALLY don’t like this plan anymore. Or at all…Please…”_

_Chara opened their mouth, but nothing came out. Asriel had to lean over them and strain his ears practically to even make out what they were saying at this point._

_“....”_

_“N-no...you’re right.. You’re right Char. I..I said...I said, I’d never doubt you. And I won’t.” Asriel sniffled. “S..Six right? We just..need six more souls. That’s it.”_

_“....”_

_“Y-Yeah..And..we’ll do it to-t-together..even if..it’s not YOU. You’re right..”_

_Chara looked at their crying sibling. There was a mix of pride, pain mostly, but..something else. Grief perhaps.. That this would be their last memory of their family, grieving over HIM._

_A Human. And one of the very race of Humans that had locked them all Underground._

_A Human, who couldn’t even tell the difference between cups of butter, and buttercups. And could have helped cause the death of their King._

_A Human, who couldn't even earn the love of their own parents, and had to go Underground for the warmth they never got. From a race of people who were all suffering just as much as he, and still practically gave him the world._

_Chara accepted his fate. He’d had no doubt in his mind at this current point he’d done the right thing. How could he even THINK of taking a Monsters soul?_

_Monsters were better than Humans in every way possible, Chara concluded, and he saw it all in that of his sibling, loyal to the very end._

_Chara gave Asriel the weakest, most genuine smile he could possibly give, all of his strength leaving his body as he died._

_His red soul drifted in the air. And Asriel absorbed it._

Sans was silent for several seconds as this first part if the memories faded away. "so, you didn't die of an illness, or at least not a natural one." He said quietly, but not accusingly. "i'm sorry that you felt like you had to do all of that for us. i can't imagine what it would be like, seeing memories isn't the same as experiencing it. and then that wasn't even the end…" He continued before trailing off and giving Chara another mental hug, remembering the story that he had been told when he was younger about the only human that had ever lived as one of their own.

_“...Hey, Azzy..” Chara thought, now one with Asriel’s soul. “If I...could have just one more request...I’d like to see the golden flowers outside my village…”_

_Asriel thus, carried Chara's dead body, Chara in control secretly as his mind became semi corrupted by the sheer power he and Asriel now wielded in that of their half-Boss Monster/Half Human form. At least probably doubled that of what Charans could wield, although that was also impressive, but THIS Chara knew better. This former one did not._

_Power had consumed him so much so he forgot what the original plan was and his mind wanted to use Asriel's power to get revenge on his human village, where Chara had originated from before he fell into the Underground._

_Asriel was scared, simply allowing Chara to control their shared body, and not really knowing what to expect as he watched through their shared vision as Chara brought their own dead body to the surface and saw the flowers. There was a brief moment of peace, as Chara, controlling their hybrid body, laid their dead corpse to rest._

_Suddenly behind them, voices rang out. It was Chara’s human father that laid the first blow as they’d thrown a sharp sword at the hybrid. “YOU MURDERED MY CHILD YOU DAMN MONSTER!!!!”_

_“MURDERER!!!”_

_Rage._

_Asriel sensed this, trying to cull Chara and calm them down. Now realizing just a little too late what Chara was wanting to do._

_“Let me go Az!! We need their human souls!!” Chara called, trying to use the SOUL collecting as an excuse to mostly justify their revenge plot, wanting to REALLY see what their shared body could do._

_See how much he could tear his dad apart for all the times he’d caused his son pain._

_“NO!!! Chara, please...Let’s just go back!” Asriel shouted, still trying to stop Chara._

_More spears, swords, Axes and so on entered their Hybrids body._

_“I thought you said you’d never doubt me! THIS is what Humanity is like, Asriel!! They all deserve death and JUDGEMENT for what they’ve done!”_

_“Chara, please!! This isn’t like you!!” Asriel sobbed, no longer seeing the kind, Chara they’d befriended. “Chara, please, what’s wrong?! Let me help!!”_

_More Humans came to attack the Hybrid._

_“Asriel please, we need to fight back or they're going to kill us!! They’re going to kill YOU!! Asriel!!”_

_The Hybrid had doubled over when a particularly sharp sword went through their chest, just barely missing their Godsoul._

_Chara mentally turned to their sibling, “ASRIEL PLEASE!! ONLY I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE!! NOT YOU TOO!!!” Chara screamed, now even THEY were getting scared._

_Still Asriel chose not to fight back, holding back Chara as their Hybrid body took blow after blow…_

_CRACK!_

_They both felt it._

_Chara’s human mother had thrown a kitchen knife, that just so happened to be at the right angle as it hit the Hybrids body dead center in the chest._

_Their GodSoul Shattered._

Back in the present, Sans flinched at this, even though he didn't feel as much pain as Chara and Asriel had felt then, but even so, Chara may have caught a slight flicker of a thought where that kitchen knife was replaced with a pink spear...

_Now, Asriel was the one to take over the control._

_“Ch...Cha...c-come...come on..i-it’s...t..time to go..” Asriel whispered, as bits of their Hybrid body was already starting to turn into dust._

_Chara said nothing. Even as Asriel commanded their shared body to pick up Chara's corpse and bring it back. Chara was silent._

_Asriel shuddered when he felt Chara smiling the whole way back._

_Hide the Pain. Hide the Anger. Hide the sorrow…_

_Eventually, with staggered steps. The Hybrid returned to the safety of the barrier, and into Asgore’s Throne Room where the King and Queen were searching for them._

_By this point the Hybrids body was already half turned to dust._

_“ASRIEL!!!!” Toriel cried, reaching their child first as Asriel collapsed into their arms._

_Asriel had wanted to say something, but the instant he started to fall he’d burst into a pile of dust upon contact with the Queen. Dust spread across the floor of the Throne Room…_

_And the Memory ended._

“And now you know..And uh..sorry...for..yeah..” Chara didn’t know what to say, noticing that little flinch towards the end and now worried he might have accidentally made Sans’s trauma so much worse.

"it's fine." Sans said quietly. "i'm sorry that you had to go through all of that."

“It’s..fine. Honestly, the only thing I regret about that day was that...it really was kind of my fault Asriel died too. It was only supposed to be me, and he’d become King and help the Monsters live peacefully with the Humans. Like I’m doing. Ugh, I seriously messed that up.. That’s why I’m so hesitant if I should even tell Mom and Dad about it. I know, I probably should…And, that everything that happened between them and- maybe even those dead Amalgamates might have also been my fault. I don’t know…Charans scratched at his elbow a bit feeling awkward again.

“And...for the record, I am still convinced Monsters are better than Humans. I mean..just lookit the mess _Jessica_ caused! What she did to you and even sending Papyrus to jail- I know she was my friend and, she became better in the end even sacrificing her own life to save your Dad, but- if anything she should have been going after Dad! _He’s_ the one that killed her kid! It still makes me so mad you had to be the one to suffer… And you didn’t even do anything…. but- I’d sooner _actually_ try again and kill myself than hurt any living Monster. Screw what some demon kid-thing. Wants. I wouldn’t even kill _Jerry_ and you know how he’s like.” Chara chuckled, trying to joke a bit knowing this was a pretty dark subject, and he still wondered if he’d accidentally hurt Sans more than helped him to understand.

“I swore to myself that day, I’d never harm a Monster. Not in a million years, you’ve all been through a lot and- even though I do miss Alphys, and everyone...I’m not going to RESET. Not that I HAVE access to the button, but...you know- We’re...just gonna have to live with what we got and make the most of it. And, I’m sure Undyne could get another girlfriend. She’s tough, and like, the coolest person ever! Besides you, Az, Paps, Skeledad, and Mom and Dad of course! Heh. Maybe we can help her out, someday.”

"yeah, maybe we can." Sans mumbled quietly, still seeming unsettled because of the memories but still giving Chara another mental hug. "and for the record, i trust you kid. i don't believe that you would hurt us, especially not after what you showed me. i'm so sorry that you had to be born to such awful people." Sans decided not to comment on what Chara had said about Jessica, as his own feelings on her were still somewhat complicated. On one hand, she had helped Betty do terrible things, but on the other hand, she was hurting a lot because of what happened to her daughter, it was quite possible that Betty had manipulated her to further the creatures own goals and she had tried to make things right.

“You do? I’m glad.” Chara smiled, hugging him back mentally. “And thanks. But, I mean.. At least one good thing came out of it because of the way they treated me. I got to meet you, and All the Monsters, and the Dreemurrs. And, I’d never trade that part of my life- even if I messed things up, we’re all free so everything worked out I guess.”

"yeah. despite everything, we have survived and we are free now. and even though it would be nice if alphys was here with us, there's unfortunately not a lot we can do about that." Sans said, continuing to mentally hug Chara, before his thoughts seemed to drift to something else.

“Yeah...we’ll find a way to make things work. Um, speaking of Alphys. Are you or Gaster good at robotics? Mettaton… I just realized he still needs repairing.” Chara thought, only now realizing. “Alphys was the one who built his body though-”

"yeah, i’ll take a look at him and i'll talk to gaster as well. though, robotics was never either of ours area of expertise and we probably shouldn't be doing any work while this tired, but i promise that i'll do anything that i can too help him." Sans replied quietly after several seconds.

“Yeah of course. Don’t worry, I’m not expecting him to be fixed like- tomorrow or anything or...later? I just.. You know, I just don’t wanna leave him like that. And since I kinda forgot he got broken but since we were talking about Alphys it just came back to me.” Chara added, “Thanks. But please, don’t push yourselves. I’d feel awful. Especially Gaster since he hasn't slept in days, he has a lot to catch up on. heh.”

"yeah, i know." Sans replied quietly. "...how is mettaton doing?"

“I saw him yesterday, when I was checking up on everyone if we had any casualties from all the Kumus and- not so good. I mean- his soul in the robot body isn’t shattered tho which is good. But like- he’s literally in a million pieces. I think he’s with Grillby and Muffet. They both got pretty beat up too.”

Sans mentally nodded silently at this, seeming troubled. "are they going to be okay?" He asked after a few seconds, seeming worried and almost guilty that he hadn't asked earlier.

“I think so. Muffet had minor injuries tho, I think Grillbz got slightly more messed up trying to defend Metta from getting killed before me, mom and dad could get to the arena. But Metta suffered the most I think since he’s pretty much just a torso right now.” Chara said simply, also seeming troubled and made a mental note to go check up on them if Sans wasn't too tired later.

Sans was again silent for several seconds before Chara heard his quiet reply. "i wish i could have done more to help. i wish i could have resisted that thing somehow. then maybe it wouldn't have been able to hurt so many people."

“Sans.. You did all you could. I mean, you’re just one skellie. Plus you did get zapped twice by that anti-magic gun thing. Honestly i'm surprised you even still HAD magic to use to fight with- No one blames you for what happened.”

"but it used my magic to do that, it used my magic to make those other blobs, it used my magic to get those other human souls. and i feel like if i had been able to resist it better, maybe if i had been able to use up all of my magic before it could, or hell, if i'd even just pushed asriel out of the way instead of sacrificing myself, then it would have been stopped sooner and alphys and all of those humans would still be alive. a-and i know that logically it's not my fault, that i shouldn't blame myself anymore than asriel should blame himself, b-but i j-just can't shake the feeling that i could have, _should have_ , done something to prevent all of this." Sans replied, starting to ramble, his feelings a mix of complicated emotions.

“Sans…” Chara hugs him mentally, “shh it’s okay, it’s okay… You are not the one at fault in all this. If anyone’s at fault it’s Betty. How would you even know that thing was going to steal your soul? I doubt you could have done much as a soul anyways. I mean, by that logic, maybe it’s all mine too for holding in all HATE in the first place and for glitching the timeline so bad that all this happened. Or- for choosing to die instead of finding another way to set everyone free earlier..I don't know…”

"no, you were just a kid that was given too much responsibility. that thing said that it wanted asriel's soul, it's not like it just snuck up on me and stabbed me before i knew it was there. a-and maybe i could have burned off all of my magic before that thing could use it or something, i-i just don't know." Sans replied shakily, accepting the mental hugs.

“But- If I’d never died, or failed, mom and Dad would probably still be together and love each other and not just simply tolerating each other for Azzys sakes and mine. And, maybe Dad wouldn't have gotten as desperate as to order Alphys to start experimenting on SOULs that made the Amalgamates. And even if Betty DID say she wanted Asriel's soul, you still didn't know what she wanted it for tho- it’s not your fault…”

"but you were only a child. a child that had been hurt so badly that you felt like you had to repay monsterkind just for showing you some kindness. a-and i know t-that it isn't my fault, b-but at the same t-time, i f-feel like it was."

“But still- there's only so much a monster can do. Even a Judge. And. I guess the same goes for me. It’s okay..” Chara says, continuing to mentally hug Sans.

"that's true. heh, i guess it's like i said before, we're both pretty messed up." Sans says quietly, accepting the mental hugs.

“Haha yeah, I guess that's why we kinda make a good team though, in a way. I mean, we can understand each other since we’ve both probably done and gone through stuff we didn't like or aren't proud of, sorta.”

"yeah, that's true." Sans replied, sounding a little calmer as he mentally hugs Chara.

“And… although I guess technically I'm semi doing the same thing Betty did, but know I'd never do anything to hurt you in any way unlike her. Okay? I mean- unless...ya know. If we were dying or something and I had no choice. Heh. And I also wanna give you that same permission too, and if for whatever reason you needed to use my determination and we’re in a life or death situation, feel free to just take it or whatever, if there’s absolutely no choice, okay? We’re a team.” Chara informed, still mentally hugging Sans in a comforting, friendly kinda way.

"chara, you're nothing like that thing. you wanted to save me, not hurt and exploit me. and i am grateful that you did save me, and i know that you would never hurt me unless you had no choice. and i promise that i won't hurt you unless i have no choice, okay?" Sans replied, still accepting the mental hugs.

“Okay,” Chara smiled. “I just wanted to be sure, I know sometimes, especially in the middle of a breakdown or a panic attack it can be hard to tell the difference. And, even as much as I’d love to know more about you, I wanna do it through love, trust and consent and as friends. Not by the literal invading of the mind or anything.”

"yeah, i know." Sans replied quietly, seeming very tired.

“Okay.” Chara told him, then paused. “How’re you feeling?” He asked, still sounding worried. 

"...m'feeling a bit better. even just having you here and knowing that you at least somewhat understand is nice."

“Well, I’m glad, you do feel like you’re doing slightly better now than earlier. I just-... wish I could go into your dreams somehow and kick the butt of that weird fusion for terrifying you so much. Defend you even in your dreams ya know? There’s times I wished Asriel could, in my nightmares. Even if he couldn’t do much, it's comforting knowing you’re not all alone when nightmares happen, ya know?” Chara said, gently mentally rubbing Sans back. “I wish I could help you more.”

"'is fine." Sans mumbled in response. "you're already doing as much as you can."

“But, I wanna do more. I’m the future of Humans and Monsters after all, and now your Ambassador, even if I don’t entirely know how to do that still. But… I don’t want you or anyone to have to suffer alone. I just-” Suddenly, an idea came to Chara’s mind. “Wait, since we share the same body, shouldn’t I feel rested if like- maybe you slept? Or vice versa? Maybe- I can stay awake while you sleep and watch over you and your SOUL. Then, I can like- wake you if I feel a disturbance or something or...since...I can kinda read your thoughts, what if I could go into your dreams and protect you when you start dreaming? If you’re okay with it that is. I mean, it’s worth a shot anyways.” Chara suggested, sounding like this could work. “Maybe you sleeping and me being awake too would like- cancel out the other and still feel like we rested. I don’t know. But- I wanna help.”

“Or, maybe we can just tire you out hella, so you’d be too exhausted to even dream at all, and sleep deeper and avoid your nightmares altogether. If you don’t want me going into your dreams. It’s entirely up to you, and I’ll respect whatever you think is best. Okay?”

"maybe. sounds like it's worth a shot. but, i'm not sure if i'm comfortable with you going into my dreams. it's not you, i'm just worried about what it might...feel like." Sans replied, shivering.

“Heh, I kinda am too. I guess it’ll be like when I saw your memories of your nightmare? But...I can interact in it?” Chara wondered, “but, again. It’s up to you. I just really do wanna help you out. I mean, if _all_ your nightmares are as intense as that one- jeez… it’s no wonder Papyrus hardly sleeps. And thinks sleeping 8 hours is weird and too long. haha”

"eh, not all of my nightmares are this bad and i don't always have them. sometimes i even have quite nice dreams. but, yeah, they can get pretty bad." 

“Oh..” Chara pouted, “well at least you do still get nice dreams every now and then.” Chara said, trying to look at the positives, the way Paps would.

"heh, yeah. and there's the dreams that are just really weird."

“Oh? Like what?” Chara teased a little, trying to lighten the mood. “Once I dreamed Asriel's ears turned into pancakes. And apparently I sleepwalked over to him and tried eating them. That one was weird, I had fur in my mouth for an entire week after that and it sucked.”

Sans chuckled quietly at this before replying. "well, one time i had a dream that another version of me was dueling a random human with a cucumber to win my hand in marriage. that one was really weird."

“What the heck??” Chara laughed trying to picture that. “That one’s cute tho. And weird but adorable haha”

"yeah, it was, heheh." Sans replied, smiling internally as he remembers the dream. "and don't worry, i didn't end up having to marry some random human instead of the other me who i was in love with for some reason."

“Oh? Aww~” Chara smiled too.”Thats sweet~”

"yeah, it was both weird and sweet." Sans replied quietly, still seeming very tired but also still somewhat reluctant to sleep.

“Haha yeah.. So...what do you think? I mean- which idea did you like more?”

Sans was quiet as he thought for a bit, then replied. "i think that i would like you to just try and wake me up and maybe comfort me if you sense that i'm having a nightmare, since like i said before, i really don't know what having you suddenly come into my dreams would feel like and it could just make things worse." He said quietly 

“Alright,” Chara agreed. “Sounds like a plan. D’you wanna go back inside? The Sun’ll be out soon.”

"well, i would prefer to stay out here, but i know that i should at least try and get more sleep before morning." Sans replied quietly.

“Let’s bring the others inside first, you can sleep, and I’ll take over for now okay? Looks like Azzy passed out as well.” Chara said, smiling a bit as he turned his one red eye light towards the younger goat monster who had really fallen asleep, his head resting on Charans shoulder.

"that sounds like a good idea." Sans said quietly, smiling as well when he saw his father and brother snuggled up together.

Chara smiled too, also seeing Pappy and Gaster snuggling. “So cute~ I almost feel bad for this.” Chara began to stand, careful to hold Azzys head, before gathering the little goat monster into his arms, trying to be careful not to wake him up.


End file.
